Renewal
by dave-d
Summary: Official tricks and misdirections had kept Sousuke and Kaname apart, each thinking the other dead
1. Darkness, Shadows, and Light

She looked at her desk top. He had done it again. As if the same lame trick would work after THAT!  
  
There was a crystal decanter, filled with long stem roses. A dozen heart shaped balloons. A large stuffed bear holding a gold foil box of expensive Belgian chocolates. A pair of tickets to the most talked about new play.  
  
There was a tangible scent of anger in the air. She was angry at HIM-- lipstick stains on his collar and a lame ass excuse that challenged her intelligence. She was angry at HERSELF--this wasn't the first evidence she had of his wandering affections.  
  
It only took a few steps to reach the telephone. A call to maintenance was in order: "Hello, this is Miss Kaname Chidori. There was a lot of junk left on my desk. Could you please send someone up with a trash bin and have the items removed. Thank you."  
  
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It had been a satisfying assignment. The island setting had been relaxing. The simple food had done his system good. It was nice to get some fishing in again.  
  
He had spent the last month acting as an instructor. The new Halberd AS, the HBD-5, was a fine machine. The lambda driver interface was still tricky, but the new power plant was phenomenal, and the standard weapons package was cutting edge. Many of his proteges had proven eager, even though they were not all natural talents. They had come along very well before the end of the sessions. The most talented trio was a handful, however. A hot headed young woman. A young man who took nothing seriously. And a quiet detached youth with the gift.  
  
He shook his head thinking about the trouble makers. He hoped his assessment would prove correct: they should end up as the hot new Mithril squad some day down the road. He smiled tightly, realizing that not too many years ago he had been part of just such an ungainly crew. It would be good to get back to the TDD-3--he missed Kurz and Melissa.  
  
An orderly drove up swiftly in a militarized electric golf cart. "A message for you, Lt. Sagara!"  
  
Sousuke thanked the young man, and sent him on his way. Was this a new assignment?  
  
He opened the envelope and looked at the memo. Osaka. Japan. He hadn't been to the land of his birth for four years...ever since the occurence.  
  
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Kaname was miffed at herself. She hadn't had the courage to tell Kyouko the truth. She had claimed to be fabulously happy, with a wonderful boyfriend. She truthfully told her old friend that she missed Tokyo, but somehow felt safer in Osaka. Not that deranged killers and secret organizations couldn't trace her there too...but it had been a fresh start after her graduation. And it placed her a good distance from the site of painful memories as well. It had been hard finishing college alone.  
  
She was ecstatic to hear that Kyouko was engaged, but at the same time felt a deep sadness welling up within herself. She had gone from boyfriend to boyfriend, trying to fill the emptiness she felt inside. Was she such a poor judge of character, or was she simply tilting at windmills? She sighed. She did not want to think that name at the moment.  
  
The apartment was too quiet. She turned the stereo on, and flippedf through the channels. No, she was not in the mood for classical. Or electronic, techno, or alternative. The last channel she tried was coming out of a news break, mentioning something about a kidnapping down town. The first song after the break was by Enya. She quickly ran back to the stereo and shut it off.  
  
Kaname did NOT want to think about anything celtic...but it was too late. Her thoughts naturally led her to the words Tuatha De Danaan. And that, of course, brought back the painful memory of the final communique she had recieved from Mithril before that organization apparently disappeared from her life.  
  
The TDD-1 had been lost at sea, fully crewed. With all SRT members on board. All.  
  
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After he had finished packing his clothing bag and his weapons kit, Sousuke went down his mental checklist, cleaning up all of his loose ends. As his final act prior to shutting off the light and heading out the door of his quarters, he checked the messages on his answering machine.  
  
There was one message from Capt. Concepcion. It seemed she would not give up trying to sink her hooks into him again. There was yet another invitation to a two-person party from a shapely young visiting dignitary's daughter who wanted to celebrate her recent recruitment to Mithril...and her successful salpingectomies. And there was a message from Kurz, asking him to bring his diary when he returned to the TDD-3.  
  
Sousuke sighed. He still didn't understand women, but he had started to notice them more and more. Nonetheless, he was not profligate. Flings and one night stands did not appeal to his innermost needs, and he did not have any current desire for a long term relationship. He knew the reason why.  
  
His assignment in Tokyo had ended abruptly. There had been no further reason for him to stay. He still remembered the shock he felt when Captain Testarossa delivered the report to him, tears in her eyes.  
  
Kaname had been in an automobile accident. By report, her car had been struck by a fuel truck, and the resulting blaze had consumed her and the patrons of a small gasoline station. Sousuke could still taste the bilious taste in his mouth that he had when he was informed that his newest mission would keep him from attending her funeral. The safe house near his and Kaname's college had been cleaned out by a sweeper team, and his belongings had been packaged and brought to him at sea. He still could not bring himself to open many of the boxes.  
  
Tessa had campaigned long and hard for a more intimate relationship after his automatic reassignment, but her timing had proven impractical and unwise. He had not been ready. It would not be proper. Eventually, he had requested and received permission to transfer to the newest of the Tuatha De Danaan class submersibles.  
  
He wondered if he would ever be ready for anyone.  
  
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Kaname finished off the bottle of champagne. She had been sarcastically toasting her one week anniversary of being a totally free woman. She placed the empty bottle on the table and gave it a spin, her thoughts slowing gradually as the rotation came to a halt.  
  
She had just received an unexpected promotion, and should be elated. It was a clear indication that her talents were recognized, and it brought a fair increase in salary. Her division was doing very well, and sales had not been this brisk in over a decade. She was pleased with the turn of events, but her thoughts kept going back to her lack of success in relationships.  
  
Who would have thought that Sousuke would have come to mean that much to her?  
  
A small deformed calico cat limped up to her, looking for affection. Kaname smiled. She had rescued the poor thing from an animal shelter she had walked by. It had looked so lonely, so forlorn, pressed up against the window. She had brought it home, and initially named it Tessa, but later gave the spunky creature a reprieve, renaming her Iris after she had knocked over a vase of flowers.  
  
Kaname walked into the kitchen, and rummaged about the cabinets, looking for a tin of cat food. All out! It was time for a trip to the grocery store, even though she was hardly in the mood. But, the fresh air might do her good. She grabbed her coat and her purse and headed out the door. The weight of her purse was comforting, but also saddened her. She opened the purse and checked the Glock 27 Sousuke had given her. The clip was full.  
  
For a brief while, Kaname was surrounded by dancing memories, some causing her to smile, others causing her eyes to tear. At one moment, she thought about removing a gift-wrapped grenade from the closet. It had been one of the last gifts that Sousuke had given her. Somehow, it meant more to her than the pearls, and gold, and carved jade that subsequent men had showered upon her. She almost dropped the grenade into her coat pocket, thinking that Sousuke would approve.  
  
Iris' mewing broke the spell. She headed out of the door and down the hallway of her apartment building.  
  
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The kidnap victim in Osaka had been a well-known scientist and expert in new fusion reactor theory. Sousuke's superiors realized the adverse effect such knowledge could have if it fell into the wrong hands. And they wagered that a rescue by Mithril might gain that organization a new member.  
  
Kurz and Melissa had argued vehemently that a couple of ECS shrouded Arm Slaves might prove invaluable as a contingency plan. Their request was not without merit, but Cmdr. Horowitz correctly noted that time was of the essence.  
  
The two stalwarts talked to Sousuke via radio, wishing him god speed and a safe return. Melissa asked him to bring back a couple of cases of beer from a number of select microbreweries. Kurz asked him to bring back a redhead.  
  
Driving with his small team of specialists in a nondescript but electronically stuffed Mithril van, Sousuke caught his breath as they drove by a grocery store. He hadn't gotten a good view of the woman placing grocery bags in her car, but the glimpse he did get reminded him of Kaname. He shook his head violently, drawing curious stares from his companions. This was not the time for daydreaming.  
  
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A chill breeze blew up Kaname's skirt, causing her to shiver momentarily. For some reason, she had a passing flash of deja vu, thinking of Sousuke. The face in the side window of a passing van had drawn her attention at the very same moment, and she almost imagined seeing a scar similar to the late Mithril sergeant's.  
  
She had to snap out of this funk. The windows on the van had been dirty, and no doubt the marking had been outside the van, not on the blurry face she had seen.  
  
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The rescue operation had gone off very well, after a sufficient period of surveillance, planning, and preparations. The kidnappers---a bunch of freelance mercenaries hired by a ruthless industrialist---had proven worthy opponents, but there had been no fatalities on Mithril's side. None of the kidnappers would be offering their services again, unless the military leaders in Hell were currently hiring.  
  
Sousuke had received a few painful bruises from one furious scuffle with a large attacker, but he had once again shown an opponent the value of a boot knife. He was better off than some of his companions. A pair of Mithril sergeants sported bloody bandages on their head, torso, and limbs, but fortunately neither were in critical condition.  
  
The scientist, physically unharmed, was frantic and near hysterical. He was given a sedative and escorted to an escorted Mithril limosine. Sousuke lost interest in him the moment the car door closed and the stretch limo drove off. His mission was complete. That was all he needed to know.  
  
Saying his farewell to the other rescue squad members, Sousuke walked nonchalantly down to the street, waiting to hail a taxi. There was plenty of time before he needed to meet the Mithril helicopter, and he had some errands to run. He doubted he could find a redhead on short notice, but might have some luck in fulfilling Melissa's request.  
  
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Kaname prized diligence and perseverance in her co-workers and her underlings. She valued common sense and good old fashioned judgment. When something was possible, or of likely success, she liked to see someone go after it with gusto. When something was unreachable, or not worth the cost and effort, she liked to see someone rein themselves in and face the facts.  
  
Her fellow employees, for the most part, exhibited many of those characteristics. Her most recent ex-boyfriend, however, did not. He had walked into her office unannounced, his arms filled with loose cut blossoms, a self-assured smile on his face. He had come to beg for her forgiveness and her return.  
  
The nerve of him showing his face here! For the first time in a while, Kaname's hand curled, and she wished she had a halisen. She settled for picking up the receiver on her telephone, and placing her anger into her finger tip, as she mercilessly punched in the number for security. There had been few moments in the past few years as satisfying as those she subsequently spent watching two armed guards dragging the unwanted interloper away.  
  
Kaname glanced up at the clock. It was time for her lunch break. Her mood was shot after the recent event, and she needed to find some way to calm herself down and regain an even keel. She snapped her fingers. That would do! She would treat herself to a leisurely lunch and latte at one of the downtown streetside cafes.  
  
Letting her secretary know where she'd be, Kaname gathered up what she needed and headed on her way.  
  
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Sousuke was in a relatively good mood. He had spent some pleasant time in a small but well-stocked book store, emerging with the newest Patrick O'Brian fiction and a historical text on the land war in China. The heavy shopping bag at his side indicated that his quest at a small number of liquor stores had been successful as well. Melissa would be happy. Kurz would have to be content with the fact that one brand of beer sported a buxom redhead on its label.  
  
Checking his watch, he noted that he still had a fair amount of time before scheduled departure. Rumbling in his stomach led him to accost a passerby and inquire into the nearest group of food establishments. His appetite was hearty today, and he could think of no reason he shouldn't indulge himself while he was still shore side.  
  
Walking along the sidewalk, close to the currently quiet street, he tried to pick out faint aromas of food in the air. He luxuriated in the feeling of a calm and soothing breeze on his face. Most of his tension from earlier in the day was gone. He had grown more self-aware in the last few years, and realized that he needed opportunities to unwind from time to time.  
  
Today was one of the days he could think back to the past and enjoy the special memories, rather than one of the more common days where any memories of Tokyo left him feeling sadly nostalgic. He thought of Kaname, and wished she could be walking with him now, hand in his hand.  
  
His reverie was interrupted by high revving engine noises, and the buzz of rapidly approaching automobiles. A swerving group of brightly colored subcompact cars, modified as street racers, flashed noisily by like a swarm of insanely painted metal bees, some passing extremely close to the place where he walked.  
  
For a brief moment, Sousuke wished he was wrapped in the firm embrace of an HBD-5, weapons fully armed, with permission to proceed with maximum prejudice.  
  
Not too much later, he heard another grouped sound of engine noises, this time materializing as a group of street bikes, again stretching the limits of the manufacturers' color palette. The riders lacked helmets, and their hair was tall and sculptured, or bizarrely dyed. They carried guns.  
  
Walking more briskly, he could now see a series of streetside tables and booths up ahead, as well as a number of likely restaurants. The cars from before were parked haphazardly in the street and on the sidewalk. The motorcycles headed for the same area. Gunshots rang out.  
  
Sousuke paused a moment. This was none of his concern. He did not wish to see innocent people injured, but he could not afford to become embroiled in a gang battle. He had his share of such encounters in the past, but that was when he had been protecting Kaname, Tessa, and others.  
  
Instincts overcame logic and duty. He started to run towards the site of the ongoing conflict.  
  
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The seafood chowder had been excellent...perhaps the finest food she had eaten in months. Wiping the inside of the bowl clean with the remnants of a flaky fresh baked bagette, Kaname seriously considered ordering another bowl. Looking at her watch, she sighed. Not too much time remained before she would have to head back. She would have to content herself with her remaining spiced latte.  
  
Politely, she asked a young couple at an adjacent table if they would like to read the periodical she had purchased and finished reading during lunch. The young woman she spoke to graciously accepted the offer. Kaname and the two strangers were all on their feet soon thereafter, a raucous noise filling the air.  
  
Close to a dozen small sports cars roared into view. With a loud squeal of rubber, the cars pulled hard slides, some ending up on the sidewalk, knocking over a few unoccupied tables, umbrellas and all. Some cars slowed more sedately, but drove their way purposely between seated groups of cafe goers.  
  
The drivers and their passengers sauntered out of their vehicles, walking with a pronounced swagger, whistling and calling out to random patrons. They laughed loudly, brandished pistols and submachine guns, and made it a point to announce their presence with wildly staged flamboyance.  
  
The crown princes of the city underground had arrived. The common folk should be made aware, put in their place, and taught to offer proper respect.  
  
Seeing a mall group of miscreants look in her direction, wave, and put large grins on their faces, Kaname subtly reached her hand inside of her purse. She wished she HAD brought that grenade along. She hoped someone inside one of the restaurants or nearby shops had their wits about them, and would call the police.  
  
When the leather clad and denim covered young men were but a few strides away from Kaname's table, a loud rumbling filled the air, making the approaching gang members quickly change their priorities. Guns in hand, they ran to find concealment amongst the sea of patrons, behind their rides, and in shop doorways. Their colorful get-ups and wild hairstyles made it difficult to entirely blend in.  
  
Kaname knocked over her heavy metal lacework table and crouched vigilantly behind it when she heard gunshots ring out. She yelled to nearby cafe patrons to hit the ground or find suitable cover. Her cursing started when nearby bullets kicked up a small cloud of concrete particles.  
  
She heard some children crying nearby. Their mother had been hit in the leg, and they were in the middle of a crossfire. Souske had taught Kaname well. It was time to act. It was time to be efficient and successful. Glock in hand, she started firing at visible gang members responsible for the deadly rain of lead. After hitting members of both rival factions, she ran low to the ground, intending to drag the children into better cover.  
  
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"Damn!!!" was the only word that Sousuke said aloud, pausing behind a decorative iron alley gate to survey the rapidly worsening situation. This was a terrible mess. Targets mixed with innocents, a growing number of whom were taking collateral damage. There were elderly patrons present. And children. No law enforcement officers were anywhere to be seen.  
  
Rapidly, he once again took stock of his available weapons. Scanning the surroundings, a golden opportunity prompted him to automatic action. A large cluster of gang members had taken cover behind their cars. Another nearby group of rival combatants was closing in on them, crouching low behind available cover. Two well-placed fragmentation grenades did not discriminate amongst the two groups of adversaries: members of both gangs were blown skyward, thrown fiercely against cars, or torn asunder. The punctured fuel tank of one vehicle caught fire and exploded, adding to the cacophony.  
  
Sousuke searched for a closer point of concealment--finding one, he ran swiftly, sliding quickly on his pants legs at the end of his sprint. Pistol in hand, he rapidly took down any obvious gang member that provided him with a clear and certain shot. His immediate area cleared, he was about to move further along until he saw one gaudily dressed villain drag an elderly woman along, using her as a human shield, backing his way into a nearby laundromat.  
  
Sousuke hesitated a moment, but the delay did not prove costly. He would not run into the shop, unaware of how man hostiles might be inside, and not wanting to paint himself into a corner. Nonetheless, he felt compelled to aid the captive woman.  
  
Making certain that he was not in the center of an expanding area of gunfire, he hefted a wrought iron stool and tossed it through a large glass window front. Leaning inside the window shortly after the stool had made its grand entrance, he caught the sluggish captor offguard, and took him down with a shot to the head. No other potential hostiles were present. The woman appeared to be in shock, but he could spare her no more attention.  
  
Now crouching behind a table, Sousuke looked for the nearest concentration of combatants. The number was thinning rapidly, as those gang members who had had their fill were running to their cars and bikes, attempting to make a getaway.  
  
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With the children safely situated in a small grove of planted trees, Kaname had returned to drag their mother to safety. Remembering Sousuke's lessons on field dressings, she used various clothing items to effect whatever effective hemostasis she could.  
  
She considered staying concealed herself, but worried that her brightly colored outfit might draw someone's attention to her place of hiding. She didn't want to subject the children to any risk higher than necessary. Telling the woman to hold on, Kaname ran to the nearest safe place she could identify, a series of adjacent phone booths.  
  
Hopefully, she was hidden from view. However, she felt uneasy, as her view was blocked as well. She flinched, hearing successive explosions. Grenades! Her thoughts immediately returned to Sousuke for a moment. How she wished he was here!!!  
  
Gunshots grew louder and more frequent. Someone was using a shotgun. A submachine gun was rattling away. Pistol fire complimented the symphony of death. Peering around the corner of one of the booths, Kaname initially saw a diminishing group of still hale combatants gradually making their way in her direction. Not wanting to draw undue attention to herself, she held her pistol in two hands snuggly against her chest, refraining from firing.  
  
If they got too much closer, she would concentrate fire on whichever gang presented the greatest potential danger to herself and the concealed children. By her estimate, she still had a fair number of shots remaining.  
  
A number of gang members from both sides had started to run off, apparently determined to live and fight another day. Kaname wiped her brow. She tried to catch her breath, fervently praying that things would soon be over.  
  
What a story to tell in the office.  
  
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Sousuke was still alert, but his priorities were in transition. For the most part, the threat appeared to be dissipating, as gang members shuffled off this mortal coil, mounted and rode, or ran off afoot. He situated his weapons out of sight, so he would not appear an obvious opponent or one of the offenders. He would not allow himself to lose focus...but it was time to think about assisting the wounded, and about making a smooth anonymous exit.  
  
He offered comfort, directed triage amongst the nonprofessionals, and applied impromptu dressings where appropriate. His obvious skill, and cool head under pressure, won him the respect and obedience of the wounded and unscathed alike. When the ambulances started arriving in number, Sousuke checked his watch and decided it was time to head towards the meeting point. He needed to flag down an available cab, if the area hadn't been cordoned off from general traffic. If necessary, he would use his cell phone to call for a ride or check the feasibility of a delayed take-off or later pick-up.  
  
Striding quickly through the tables---noting the human carnage, automobile remnants, and overturned tables and stalls---Sousuke began to take less and less notice now of the huddled, crying, and writhing victims. He barely caught sight of a nicely dressed young woman bending over to comfort a pair of young children, a bloodied woman at their feet. Something tugged frantically at his memory, screaming out for his attention, but he was in too much of a hurry to give it much notice.  
  
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There was blood on her skirt and blouse, and a couple of fresh tears in her stockings. Her nice dress shoes were scuffed, and the hinge on her purse was dislocated. Kaname was not concerned about any of that. The blood was not her own, and material things could be replaced.  
  
The crying, moaning, and gasping breaths of the injured drew her attention, and she offered whatever succor she could. She had applied pressure to the young mother's wounds until an ambulance attendant took over. A shadow caught her eye, and she got a glimpse of a torso and legs dressed in pressed black slacks and a European shirt, somewhat reminiscent of some things that Sousuke had taken to wearing at the university. She almost lifted her head angrily to call the passerby to task...there were people who needed helping here! She stayed focused, however, and the faceless man quickly exited her thoughts.  
  
She moved progressively onward, helping an overwrought teenage couple, a limping waiter, and a near comatose businessman. If she was not able to return to work on time, she had a good excuse. The status of her clothing and the look on her face ought to prove witness enough to any doubting company official.  
  
Kaname was feeling a little lightheaded, herself. Part of it was the incessant rush of adrenaline, the rapidly changing levels or serotinin. Part of it was the onrushing waves of nostalgia. She had been through events like this before with Sousuke. She even caught herself looking for him, to pass along a good scolding...this HAD to be his fault somehow. Sadly, she tried to curb her reflexive responses.  
  
When it looked like things were finally under control, she found a frightened restaurant owner and paid her bill. This was no time to take advantage of the situation. Saying her thanks, and receiving gratitude in return, she headed off towards her office building.  
  
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The helicopter would leave without him. It would not prove a problem, as another team was arriving to research a permanent safe house in Osaka, in case the scientist in question insisted that he would remain at his current place of employment. He could leave on their flight out.  
  
Sousuke was intent on finding a a gun shop, to replentish his diminished ammunition stock. After that, he would find a nice hotel with a good restaurant and room service. He would shower, change clothes, and take the opportunity to start on his new books.  
  
His books! And Melissa's beer! He had stashed them in a thick area of bushes prior to joining the fray. Damn. He would need to retrace his steps and retrieve those items. Grumbling, he headed back.  
  
Of all the luck.  
  
His mood lifted slightly with each step. He was uninjured. He had assisted the wounded. He had helped avert a much larger catastrophe. And he would delay Armageddon, if he could successfully rescue Melissa's precious elixirs. His mind ran onward without him, reminiscing about the firefight's similarity to past adventures with Kaname.  
  
Falling deeper and deeper into thought, he almost knocked over a young woman. Snapping out of his near trance, he lifted his head to apologize. No words would come out. He had no voluntary movement of his limbs. A small corner of his mind wondered if he had been hit by a dart filled with curare or cone shell venom.  
  
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She had been lost in thought, slave to an impromptu urge to tally the remaining tasks awaiting her back at her place of work. Not paying strict attention to the real time scene around her, Kaname felt a strong jarring impact in her left side and shoulder. She had to scramble momentarily to maintain her balance. And her temper.  
  
"Hey! Watch where...." her words tailed off quickly and quietly. Had she hit herself harder than she thought she had? Had she bumped her head? Was this all an elaborate daydream? She could swear she saw Sousuke standing in front of her.  
  
"K-K-Kaname?" Ah! How convincing! The daydream had audio as well.  
  
"Uh...Kaname?" It certainly was a persistent fantasy.  
  
"Uh....Uh...." The "Uhs" did it. Her mind snapped into sharp focus. She pinched herself. She pinched him. Very hard.  
  
"Ouw! Kaname!!! What are you doing?" The voice started out perturbed and became quickly confused. "How can you still be alive? The accident...."  
  
It WAS Sousuke. Or she had gone WAY too far off the deep end. Had she been shot? Was she laying on an operating table under anesthesia? Was she dead...was this Heaven...OR...?  
  
"S-S-Sousuke?" Her eyes were so wide now, and the rush of blood in her ears was so great, that she almost feared that her head would burst like a balloon. "How? The TDD-1? All lost...."  
  
For long moments, both stood staring at one another, the surrounding world seemingly nonexistant. Neither could move. Neither knew what to say. The shock to their systems was overwhelming.  
  
Kaname moved first. Old habits died hard. She moved quickly from disbelief...to joy...back to disbelief again...and skipped ahead a few notches to unbridled rage. She swung her purse, gun inside. Placement was perfect: the sturdy leather strap broke under the force of the blow against Sousuke's chin. Only his reflexes kept him from doing a series of cartwheels.  
  
"SOUSUKE!!! WHERE...THE...HELL...HAVE...YOU...BEEN...?!!"  
  
Sousuke's response was unplanned and inappropriate. If he had been tactically clever, he would have taken a step back. If he had been strategically wise, he would have taken the running start Kaname was uncharacteristically providing him. A normal individual might be filled with dread, pain, or anger.  
  
Sousuke smiled.  
  
"Kaname...it IS you...how?" He rubbed his tender chin. His gaze grew distant. "Kaname...that hurt...a lot..."  
  
Those words. Kaname had heard something similar on many occasions. Suddenly, her anger was gone and her eyes filled with tears. Her lips quivered and her legs suddenly felt very weak.  
  
"Sousuke...I'm sorry...but..." She couldn't find the right words to say. There was so much to ask, so much to tell, and she couldn't lasso a single word. Sousuke removed the need for speech from her for a short stretch of time, wrapping his arms around her and placing his face in her hair.  
  
It was a unique moment for Sousuke. He felt close to tears. He hadn't even cried at the discovery of Kaname's so-called death. His voice caught in his throat repeatedly. He could only manage half formed "U...u...u...h...h..h..." Getting a grip on his emotions, he whispered "Kaname."  
  
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Kaname had shock upon shock, but thought she was handling it well. First, it WAS Sousuke. Not a phantom. Not a ghost. Not some figment of her imagination.  
  
Second, it was not exactly the same Sousuke. He was older, of course. But she could sense an almost palpable increase in maturity, as if the most recent emotional hardships had somehow overridden his earlier childhood traumas. He was calmer...still in control, but less noticeably so.  
  
Third and furthermore, he had been very vulnerable for a moment. The tears had still been clinging to his eyes when she had finally brought herself to gaze up at his face. He had smiled soon after that, and the smile was open, almost carefree.  
  
Part of her was intrigued, and anxious to explore the mysteries further. Part of her wanted to immediately start back up right where they had left off.  
  
An equal if not larger part was stricken, almost painfully so. What things had happened in Sousuke's life to bring about such evolution? What events? What people? What women?! Was there still some special someone he was anxious to get back to?  
  
Those latter questions almost seemed more important than the more obvious puzzle: why had he stayed away without even a single word. Why had she been told that the TDD-1 had been lost at sea, all hands aboard?  
  
Sousuke had obviously been hit as hard by things as she had, and had his own questions too. He had asked her to hold her inquiries until they had both gathered their composure, and until they had a private and comfortable place to talk. It was a reasonable request, but Kaname had to fight the urge to either kiss him---or pummel him---until he gave in.  
  
They had visited her work place together, Kaname's obvious condition drawing assorted gasps, concern, sympathy, and understanding. Her bosses were only too eager to offer her the rest of the day off with pay. She gladly accepted.  
  
The fourth shock was minor in comparison. Minor, but extremely annoying and completely unwanted.  
  
Her latest ex-boyfriend was certainly persistent. He was waiting down at the street, three hired street minstrels by his side. He had set up a small tent, and had a folding table filled with snacks and potables. The minstrels were nibbling on scones and quaffing carbonated fruit drinks. They couldn't have been out here for too long. Why hadn't they just waited a few moments longer?!  
  
Kaname wished at least one of them had been dressed as a mime...she was looking for any excuse to justify extreme punishment. Her emotions had already been well into the red. This was NOT the time for such blatant foolishness!  
  
She looked up at Sousuke's face. He was not wary or paranoid. He was curious and confident. His eyes moved rapidly, obviously taking full stock of the situation. He was content to simply observe.  
  
The ex-boyfriend clapped his hands. The minstrels tossed aside their pastries and cups, and quickly grabbed their instruments, their period costumes flapping with every strong gust of wind. Lute, shawm, and doumbek in hand, they started up a sprightly 14th century troubador tune.  
  
Standing and bowing towards Kaname, the ex-boyfriend began to sing, somewhat off key. The words were from "Foy portes," a work of Guillaume de Machant:  
  
"I want to stay faithful  
  
"Guarding your honor  
  
"Seek peace, obey  
  
"Fear, serve, and honor you  
  
"Until death  
  
"Peerless Lady....!"  
  
Kaname began fuming. Had she been a cartoon character, steam would surely be pouring out of both ears. This! Now! With Sousuke here!  
  
She looked back up into Sousuke's eyes. Part of her was worried that Sousuke would cause a scene, brandishing a weapon or sending the minstrels and patron airborne with a grenade. Part of her was expectant, WANTING Sousuke to exact painful vengeance on her behalf.  
  
He correctly read all of her moods. He remained completely still and silent. His eyes squinted ever so slightly. He obvously tried to suppress a grin. He had the nerve to smile outright, when he saw her grimace and heard her start growling on HIS behalf.  
  
The nerve of him!!!  
  
Kaname was a quick thinker. It was one of the reasons she had proven so adept at her line of work. She hated to reward Sousuke for his inattentiveness to her needs, but she had bigger fish to fry now. She had ruled out violence. She had ruled out paying any obvous attention at all to the singing irritant. She quite deliberately reached into her purse slowly, pulled out her lipstick, and made slow and careful use of it. She took a moment to check herself in her small mirror. She took a few steps back and away from Sousuke.  
  
Souske turned ever so slightly, moving one leg back a small bit, as if readying himself for some kind of impact. For a brief moment Kaname was infuriated, knowing that Sousuke somehow expected her next move. She quickly flip-flopped her mood, however. They truly WERE a good team, weren't they. Still.  
  
Kaname took a few brisk steps forward, and launched herself into the air. She landed on Sousuke, arms around his neck. She kissed him with a fervor that surprised everyone present. One minstrel nearly bit the mouthpiece off of his shawm.  
  
She had meant it as a statement, as a ploy. However, her emotions...and Sousuke's...would have nothing to do with that. The kiss deepened, and became fully mutual. Sousuke held her as if he never intended to let her go again, and she eagerly responded to that embrace. After some unknown period of time, both needed to come up for air.  
  
Finished...for the moment...Kaname tossed her hair, setting it afloat on the stiff breeze. With a loud "Hmmppff!," she grabbed Sousuke's arm and started to drag him down the street towards her car.  
  
Sousuke pulled himself from her grasp, surprising her, making her furrow her brow dangerously.  
  
His face composed, and his gait smooth and leisurely, Sousuke walked up to the minstels and their temporary Lord. Uh oh! This was when the fur would start flying! Kaname licked her lips in anticipation. She started to smile when Sousuke reached into one of his larger pants pockets.  
  
Without saying a word, Sousuke pulled out his billfold. He pulled out some coins and paper money, bowed, and offered it to each minstrel in turn. They eagerly accepted his tips, and bowed, flourishing their plumed hats. Sousuke started to hold some money out towards Kaname's ex-boyfriend, then stopped. He shook his head, wadded up the bills, and placed the money back in his pocket. He strolled slowly back to Kaname.  
  
Arriving back at Kaname's side, Sousuke offered her his arm, which she gladly held onto. She felt as if she were walking on air. That had been SO perfect! She stopped. She looked up at him, her eyes large and vulnerable.  
  
"Sousuke...."  
  
"Yes, Kaname?"  
  
"I...I've missed you SO much!" She grabbed ahold of him again, this time clinging to him as if he were the only safe haven in the middle of a roaring flood. She stayed that way a while, crying quietly, as he tenderly stroked her hair.  
  
"No doubt" he eventually replied, smiling when he felt her pull away momentarily. His eyes were not filled with humor, though. "I missed you too Kaname." She burrowed her head back into his shoulder, intent to stand there forever.  
  
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Sousuke sat comfortably, reclining on a couch of Scandanavian design, colorful throw pillows decorating either end. A small purring calico cat had claimed his lap, and he absentmindedly stroked its ears and back.  
  
Waiting for Kaname's return with the drinks, he looked about her apartment, noting the neatly kept shelves, the well-placed prints, and the scattered avantgarde figurines, vases, and conversation pieces. Her selected furniture appeared well chosen for its looks and its potential for comfort. The room was well lit, with track lights highlighting the shelving and the area over the mantlepiece. Candles of various shapes and sizes---some lit, but most not---accented the appearance of the room.  
  
The small creature in his lap stretched, closed its eyes, and gave a wide feline yawn, displaying a set of fearsome looking small teeth. Sousuke smiled. He thought of Kaname. She could be soft and warm, even cuddly if the moment was right. In the past, she had even come close to purring at times, and certainly responded well to attention.  
  
And she too continued to have her sharp and pointed side. It seems that some things had not changed.  
  
Other things had, however. He had considered her attractive before. She was even moreso now. She had been athletic and confident in her walk before. She glided now...smoother, moving in very interesting ways. Her hair had been an attractive mane, a definite point of notice. It was a silky waterfall now, almost with a life of its own. Her figure had become accentuated in the areas within which he now appreciated accentuation.  
  
Sousuke smiled, thinking of the lost opportunities of his past. Her beauty had captivated him unconsciously in the past, at least as much as he was capable of being captivated. It had been a subtle thrill and unease back then---more a source of discomfort and uncertainty than a hair trigger for hormones and teenage fantasies. It was just as well, he admitted. He had a job to do back then. Things had started to progress significantly in college...but the reported accident had effectively ended that.  
  
He was free to indulge his senses now. He anticipated her walk back into the room.  
  
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After taking a shower and changing into more casual---and intact--- clothing, Kaname excused herself and went off to the kitchen area.  
  
Moving purposefully and efficiently, Kaname put together a plate of Pocky and sweet chestnuts, next turning her attention to making the mixed drinks. She decided on lime chu-hai, and gathered up the shochu, lime juice, and soda water.  
  
It seems she was a bit distracted. At one point, she realized she had emptied half of the soda water bottle, filling one glass well beyond the top, forming a small cascade and a puddle on the floor. Damn that Sousuke! She smiled and shook her head. Opening the cabinet, she took out a clean glass and started anew.  
  
Kaname paused for the umpteenth time, attempting to regain her mental equilibrium. She could hardly believe the turn of events. Sousuke. Sousuke was here. Sousuke was here with her. Her thoughts began wandering again. She wondered how he had changed inside. The outward changes were easy to see. He was taller. Broader. He moved with greater ease, but with no less determination. His hair was well manicured, and his skin was pleasantly tanned.  
  
She knew what she wanted most to find out...about him and about herself. Was there a place in her life for him? Was there a place in his life for her? What might their emotions choose for them? What might their current lives limit them to? Had they grown up apart...or had they grown apart?  
  
Kaname would not find out the answers rearranging the snack plate for the tenth time, or wasting her bottle of soda water. She wouldn't solve any mysteries reminiscing about the past, and wouldn't do either one of them a favor by trying to force the future.  
  
Nonetheless, this was not a time to be overly cautious. At the very least, she had the comfort of knowing that he was alive. Already, that knowledge had removed a tragic pall from her previous memories of him, allowing her to enjoy those images again.  
  
Yes, the worst thing that could happen would be that she would wake up again tomorrow, realizing that Sousuke was still absent from her life. What harm could come from being assertive? She should make the most of this opportunity.  
  
Kaname was in a generous mood. She allowed herself to hope. The uncertainty and anticipation were almost electric now. What if they COULD somehow spend significant time together again?  
  
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Kaname and Sousuke spent pleasant moments reminiscing. They mentioned the pertinent things that had occurred in their lives since they last saw one another. The time finally arrived, however, when they both could wait no longer. It was time for the mood to change. There were happenings that needed to be discussed.  
  
"Sousuke?" Kaname's gaze was razor sharp, and her posture straight without being artificially rigid.  
  
"Yes, Kaname?" Sousuke caught the change in her look, and nodded his head in acknowledgement.  
  
"Sousuke...a messenger from Mithril brought me a communique from the high command soon after you left college for Iran. It said the TDD-1 had been lost at sea. It said that all hands had been aboard, and that no one had been rescued. They could not provide any further details. I was told that I was on my own. What HAPPENED?" She was grasping a small pillow in her hands, alternately squeezing and twisting it.  
  
"Kaname...I can only tell you what I know. I will then ask you my own questions. After that, we can surmise together. Is that acceptable?" He sat straighter up, and removed Iris from his lap, placing her gently upon the floor.  
  
Kaname nodded her head, continuing her merciless assault on the pillow.  
  
"To start off...nothing ever happened to the TDD-1 or any significant number of crewmen. As for my leaving college, I told you as much as I could before I left. I can tell you more now. Arbalest was needed. At least one enemy AS with lambda technology was noted in the vicinity of one of the nuclear facilities. Melissa's ARX-7 was in for repairs...Kurz' had been taken down for routine maintenance...and the forthcoming Arx-7s had not completed their validation phaze. All that meant that I specifically was needed."  
  
Sousuke paused, momentarily haunted by painful memories. Kaname noticed, and her look grew sympathetic, concerned.  
  
"The briefing had gone off without a hitch. I had then spent a pleasant evening with Kurz and Melissa. When I headed back to my cabin intent on getting a good night's sleep, I found Tessa waiting at my door. She carried an envelope marked "Urgent." There were tears on her face."  
  
Kaname flinched at the mention of Tessa's name. Her look grew sour, when she thought of Tessa and "Urgent" envelopes together.  
  
"Tessa" she hissed.  
  
"Yes, Kaname." Sousuke shook his head sadly, his mind awash with potential conspiracies. "She had told me that she had terrible news. She said she was so very sorry. When I read the message, it felt as if my world had collapsed. There would be no reason for me to return to Japan. Stricken as I was, I didn't know if I would EVER want to return again...."  
  
"Sousuke?" Kaname too had her suspicions.  
  
"Uh..." Despite the severity of the conversation, Kaname found a reason to smile, if only briefly. 'Uh.' How many times had she heard that utterance?!  
  
Sousuke caught her reaction...looked confused for a moment...and then looked sheepish. "Uh" he said purposely. "You had been in an automobile accident, colliding with a fully laden fuel truck at a petrol station. Or so it was written." He lifted an eyebrow, and Kaname knew what he was asking.  
  
"I WAS in an accident near that gas station, Sousuke. But as you can see, I survived."  
  
"Thank you, Kaname. I was not certain. About the accident, I mean." He paused to finish off his most recent drink.  
  
"The collision was supposed to have resulted in a tremendous fireball. Many people were supposed to have died. The next day I was shown a newspaper obituary page with your name and picture. Many other names and histories were nearby, all relating to the casualties of the same tragedy. I was in disbelief, until I read the front page. The accident was reported, and a rather detailed description was given...including your name...and your model of automobile."  
  
Kaname had begun to look angry. Not only had someone done this to her...someone had done this to Sousuke! And, it was most likely perpetrated by the very people he served so well...for whom he repeatedly put his life on the line!  
  
"Did you ask about a funeral?" It was the next logical question.  
  
"Yes." Sousuke's eyes looked empty, cold. Kaname had seen that look often enough in the early days. "But my request to attend was denied. The ceremonies were supposedly on the same day as the mission. I..."  
  
Sousuke hung his head. "I had approached Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin. He spoke on my behalf with Lt. Concepcion and others. The professional opinion was that a delay in the mission might be risky, but would not necessarily lead to failure or greater losses. They were in favor of flying me to Tokyo in one of the new F-35 VTOL aircraft---letting me say my words---and returning me immediately thereafter." It was Sousuke's turn to clench a pillow.  
  
"My request was denied by Cmdr. Mardukas, and his order was supported by Tessa. They said that fresh weather reports had come in by satellite. If anything, the mission needed to be pushed to an earlier start time. It was. I can't remember too much of what happened during that mission. I have little recollection of what I did for months after that."  
  
"I can understand that feeling. I went through something very similar, myself." Kaname shivered, remembering her initial days after Sousuke's supposed demise.  
  
"Kaname...you said you really were in an accident? Were you badly hurt? What happened?"  
  
"I was near the gas station at the time of the explosion. A car crossed through a red light at the intersection, and I swerved to avoid it, colliding with a parked flatbed truck carrying fresh produce. It was not a jarring impact, and I was only bruised slightly on my chest. I was in more danger from the fireball, which stopped just short of the street. I felt the heat, and thought my time might have come."  
  
"Do you have any idea why your name would have been associated with that accident by Mithril?" Kaname could sense the unspoken accusation in Sousuke's voice. She knew he was struggling with the idea of possible betrayal and chicanery.  
  
"Yes, I suppose I supplied someone with an ideal opportunity. Even though I had been told that Mithril would no longer be looking out for my well being, I still knew some of the drop points and a few pertinent phone numbers." Kaname paused to take a sip of her drink.  
  
"When I was apologizing to the truck driver, he was very understanding. His co-worker in the passenger seat had seen the whole thing unfold. He said that the other car had continued to accelerate...drove into the gas station...and appeared to head straight for the tanker truck."  
  
"You suspected terrorism?" Sousuke approved of Kaname's thought process.  
  
"Well, Sousuke...being around you certainly rubbed off on me!" Kaname smiled fondly. Sousuke smiled in return.  
  
Kaname continued. "I couldn't be certain. I didn't see how it could hurt if I passed along my concerns. The operatives thanked me, but told me to avoid any contact in the future." Kaname was silent a few moments, dealing with her own thoughts about betrayal, and being cut loose without warning, with no opportunity to make other arrangements if she so chose.  
  
"In the true newspaper article, I read that the driver had left a suicide note. If I hadn't contacted Mithril...." Kaname's tone made it seem as if she were blaming herself for the lies subsequently told to Sousuke. She hung her head.  
  
"Kaname...." Sousuke shook his head and patted the spot on the sofa next to him. "Don't ever think about blaming yourself!" He paused until she got up, walked over, and sat next to him. Kaname leaned up against him with a long deep sigh.  
  
"Look at me, Kaname." His voice was very strict then. He was in command at that moment. When he was certain he had her full attention, his face softened, and he placed his arm around her. "You didn't cause any of it. You simply supplied a convenient coating of truth to a horrible lie. If you hadn't...they would have found something else, and would not have stopped until they made that convincing as well. Perhaps if I had been more suspicious...if I had made covert inquiries...."  
  
Kaname leaned down and bit Sousuke's arm.  
  
"Ouw! Kaname!"  
  
"Look at me, Sousuke!" It was Kaname's turn to take the rein. "You had word from people you trusted. They showed you something any normal person would believe. Someone obviously wanted you away from me. Perhaps they were jealous. Maybe they thought you were being wasted guarding someone who hadn't provided the organization with a single shred of useful knowledge. We can only guess. But if they were so bold to go as far as they did...."  
  
"Yes. You are correct. They would have found some way to meet their goals." His eyes went very wide, briefly. His mouth went razor thin, then relaxed. His tension ebbed visibly.  
  
"Sousuke...what's wrong?"  
  
"I had a very frightening thought...but, one which likely would never have occured. The possibility had struck me that if someone had been desperate enough...and despicable enough...they would not have had to lie. Or, they could have built a more convincing front. Your whereabouts--- and importance---could have been leaked to evil men. A sniper could have been hired anonymously. Any number of possibilities come to mind."  
  
Kaname did NOT want to follow that line of thought. Instead, she thought that it was an appropriate time to raise the stakes. She knew what the questions might do to Sousuke...but he would get there on his own, and she wanted to hear his thoughts. She also wanted to be by his side to offer comfort.  
  
"Sousuke, we were both fooled. And, I suppose neither of us were truly at fault. We know what was said. We can guess why it was done. We...."  
  
Sousuke cut her off, abruptly. "Who." His eyes looked very sad at first, flashing with anger soon thereafter.  
  
Kaname nodded. She stroked Sousuke's arm tenderly, and was rewarded, seeing the anger in his face turn first into surprise, and then gradually into longing. He kissed her tenderly on the forehead before he attempted to speak once more.  
  
"I think we can both come up with one name. Though I almost feel a traitor saying anything without proof, it is certainly a soldier's job to consider all possibilities."  
  
"Tessa."  
  
"Yes. She had her own personal reasons, but I doubt that would have been enough. With her contacts, and her meticulous approach to things, I find it hard to belive that she would have been completely fooled by anyone else. Whether or not she was in favor of the plan, I suspect she was involved at some level." The thought struck Sousuke deeply. He had thought Tessa to be a friend. Would a friend take part in such a ruse, even if under strong and severe pressure?  
  
What kind of commanding officer could behave in such a fashion? This hit Sousuke on a professional level as well.  
  
"Mardukas?"  
  
Sousuke thought a moment. "It's possible. He did not like my attraction to you. He thought my training and talents were wasted in Tokyo. But, even though I never came to like the man, I respected him as an honorable soldier. I cannot see him doing something like this at his own behest...but I cannot say for certain whether or not he would follow along if ordered by his superiors."  
  
"Kalinin?"  
  
"No!" Sousuke's response was quick, instinctual. "At least, I strongly doubt he would take part in such a charade. First, he is an honorable man. Second, he supported my decision to remain by your side, even though he felt I might better serve elsewhere. And, he seemed honestly saddened at the news of your demise, and made efforts to gain permission for me to attend your funeral."  
  
"Not Kurz or Melissa."  
  
"No." There was no doubt whatsoever in Sousuke's mind.  
  
"Someone in the High Command?"  
  
Sousuke nodded his head. "It is certainly possible. They tend to view soldiers as commodities, regardless of how philanthropic their overall view of the organization's purpose may be. And, there is certainly no guarantee that some of them may not be ruthless driven men. There had been traitors at Headquarters in the past, as Gauron's takeover attempt once plainly demonstrated. If there could be traitors, there could certainly be lesser evils."  
  
Kaname squeezed Sousuke's hand, then brushed her fingers across his cheek. "Sousuke...what are you going to do? Are you going to pursue this...or keep things to yourself?"  
  
Sousuke understood the given question. He also correctly read Kaname's underlying query. "I'm not certain, Kaname. There is certainly a danger in exposing the misbehavior of superiors or people with power. But this is more than a matter of honor. More than a matter of right versus wrong. I have to determine who might be currently at risk, and what actions might be taken against them. Against us."  
  
"Sousuke...." Kaname stopped, not certain how to best ask her question.  
  
"Might I consider leaving Mithril?" Sousuke paused for effect, meeting Kaname's eyes. "And, might I consider what my decisions might mean for the two of us, and what future relationship we might have together?"  
  
"Yes." Kaname blushed, lowering her head. When she raised her head back up again, her look was eager and intense.  
  
"The first is a very difficult question Kaname, no matter what some individuals in Mithril may have done to us. I do not want to live for revenge ever again. And I do not want my anger to dominate my actions. We should both realize that Mithril continues to perform a tremendous service from a global perspective, improving the lives of countless people. And, we should not judge the whole cart of apples to be rotten, just because we happened upon a bad sample."  
  
Kaname nodded her head. "But we are within our rights to check each apple more carefully, aren't we?"  
  
"Yes. My thoughts exactly, Kaname. There are things I need to find out before I make any decision in that regard. I trust Kurz and Melissa implicitly, and they need to know---at the very least---that you are still alive. I also trust Cmdr. Horowitz, the commander of the TDD-3, and Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Elieden, the commander of the SRT. I do not wish to embroil them in controversy, but I trust their judgment. And, I feel I must inform them of my actions, if I decide to proceed with anything potentially disruptive."  
  
Despite many of the changes that maturity had wrought, Sousuke still suffered from occasional slips of the tongue. "And, I can ask for Capt. Concepcion's assistance. I believe she would be discrete. We had grown somewhat closer, for a while." He realized his mistake when he saw Kaname's questioning scowl. He moved quickly onward.  
  
"Kaname, I believe you also wanted to know what we might be able to hope for from each other?"  
  
Kaname's look softened, and her heart was in her eyes. "Yes, Sousuke. I would very mich like to know that." She halted, momentarily. Squaring her shoulders, she continued. "Is there...someone...Sousuke? There isn't for me...."  
  
Sousuke shook his head. "Like you, Kaname, I looked for companionship from time to time, but never seemed able to find someone sufficient. Not one of them was you." Sousuke felt warm inside when he saw Kaname's reaction to that statement.  
  
"Does that mean....?" Kaname held her breath, a tidal wave of emotions sweeping across her thoughts.  
  
"Yes, Kaname. I would like to spend time with you again. I would like to see where things might lead."  
  
"Me too, Sousuke...me too!!!" For the first time in a long while, Kaname felt truly happy.  
  
They spoke at length, on various topics, until Kaname's every other sentence appeared to be punctuated with a yawn.  
  
"You look exhausted, Kaname. Perhaps it is time for you to get some sleep. I should be on my way, before hotel desks begin closing."  
  
"SOUSUKE!!!" That voice certainly brought back memories for the two of them. "Do NOT be such a moron, Sousuke. You will be staying here, of course. There is plenty of room."  
  
Her eyes took on a curious glow, one Sousuke was not certain he had seen before. "You could probably use a shower, Sousuke. While you are doing that, I will get things ready for you."  
  
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While Sousuke was in the shower, Kaname went about preparing things for Sousuke. She hummed happily to herself, stopping only to smile, or to consider if she were doing the right thing. No. There was no doubt. There was something she had long regretted.  
  
Sousuke himself had drilled her repeatedly about the importance of timing in the offensive part of battle.  
  
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The warm shower was certainly welcome. Sousuke felt a need to wash away the grime and filth of the day. Symbolically, he felt determined to wipe away the residua of past events that covered his soul like a clinging layer of dust.  
  
His body felt fresh. His mind and spirit too. He still could not believe his good fortune, finding Kaname alive. Finding her unattached and still interested!!!  
  
Finished dressing, he stepped out of the bathroom, intending to pass through Kaname's bedroom on his way to the living room area. No doubt the couch had been prepared with comfortable pillows and blankets.  
  
He would not make it to the living room that evening.  
  
The first thing he noticed was that the bed cover had been turned down, with fluffed pillows exposed on both sides. At the sudden dimming of the lights, he turned his head towards the doorway.  
  
Kaname stood there, holding a generously filled wine glass in each hand. She was wearing lacey lingerie that left little to the imagination...and made her look better than any woman had a right to.  
  
Ah! It seems that he had taught Kaname how to fish only too well. Sousuke knew he was well and firmly hooked when Kaname spoke.  
  
"Sousuke...do you still carry those latex emergency canteens in your weapons kit?" 


	2. O What a Tangled Web pt 1

Kurz had ridden many things, but NOTHING as exciting as this. A dream come true!  
  
He had surfed the Banzai Pipeline. He had skied the Alps with Greta. Many of the tallest and fasted roller coasters worldwide had bowed down and called him master. He had attended numerous driving camps, getting a chance to spend time behind the wheels of NASCAR and Formula-1 racers. He had visited similar Russian camps for tandem flying in Soviet fighter aircraft.  
  
All had been fun, but none were as big a conquest as this. He had KNOWN he would succeed. NO ONE could resist the Weber charm forever.  
  
He needed to focus on the moaning woman beneath him. He had lost track of how many times he had brought her to Heaven...let her back down to earth...only to bring her higher yet. He was winded, and his arms were growing weary, but he would give her his all.  
  
Melissa deserved nothing less.  
  
She would be his slave after this. It was far too late---she would have no choice but to develop a craving for him, a sweet addiction. Then, it would be HE who could string HER along, always pushing her back and slapping her down. Yes, it would be....  
  
Suddenly, things were wet all over. But wait...his hair? The dream fragmented, swirled valiantly trying to reform, then disappeared.  
  
"What?" Kurz sat upright, rubbing his hand in his hair. Cold liquid ran down the back and side of his neck. Some ran into the corner of his mouth. Beer!  
  
"Shit, Kurz, this is no time to take a nap. Sousuke will be back in a few hours and we need to have this place ready for him. I sure as hell am not going to do all the work!"  
  
"Damn it, Sis. That was a terrible thing to do!" Kurz looked angry.  
  
"What, wake you up? Why were you moaning?" Melissa stopped what she was doing, glad to give her arms a break.  
  
"Yes...I mean, it was stupid to waste a beer like that." For once, Kurz showed a little discretion. After all, his neck was on the line.  
  
"Of course." She did not sound convinced. She grew steely-eyed. "So, why were you calling out MY name?" She clenched and unclenched her fists.  
  
"Uh...well...I was bound hand and foot like the victim in th old silent movies. You were sitting on the train track drinking all of the beer...without letting me have a single drop!" Oh yeh! That was a good one!  
  
"Bull crap! Try again." She stood up and did some stretching exercises. She probably didn't want to pull a muscle when she whalloped him something fierce.  
  
"But...OK, I'm embarrassed to admit it...." He put every bit of sincerity he had into his voice. He attempted to look utterly embarrassed. "You are still the master and I'm still the student." She wasn't scowling yet, so there was still a chance. "We were in a fight with terrorists, but they seemed like monsters from my childhood nightmares. I couldn't handle them alone. You were the first one I thought of to call for help!"  
  
"Oh Hell. If that's the best you can do, you deserve what's coming to you!" She started walking his way, smacking the pump she held against the palm of her hand.  
  
"REALLY, Sis. You just don't realize how much I look up to you!!!" Kurz wanted to back away, but he knew he would be admitting his guilt if he did.  
  
"Except, in your dream you were looking down at me...." Melissa slid that one in deftly and quickly.  
  
"Oh yeh! We...." His reflexes had done him in. But he was a quick thinker. "We were climbing the Alps looking for Greta. Damn, how I miss her. I think the terrorists had her, but you broke the dream before I could get there...."  
  
"You're a terrific liar, Weber. But I'm a better one. Send a thief to catch a thief. Send a squad leader to kick the living shit out of a lying perverted son of a bitch." Melissa must have been in a good mood anticipating Sousuke's return. Those words were close to compliments.  
  
Now Kurz was back-peddling around the room.  
  
"You weren't having some kind of erotic dream, were you Kurzie Poo?" Melissa's smile could curdle milk.  
  
"Uh, of course not!" What was the saying? Don't cry over spilt blood?  
  
"You weren't getting off on me, were you Dead Man?" That look could boil bodily fluids.  
  
"No...no, of course not! Why would I even look at someone like you?" Oops, that one didn't come out just right!  
  
"I see." Melissa growled, grabbing Kurz by his shirt collar and lifting him off the ground. "This is going to hurt you more than it hurts me."  
  
"But Sis, how can I help fix things up for good ole Sousuke if you snap me in two? And shouldn't you be thinking about him, not your own pleasures? This is a good joke...it would be a shame to waste the opportunity...." He closed his eyes, praying.  
  
Melissa let Kurz go. "I hate to admit it, but you're right. Get back to setting up the candles! I'll get back to rubber Mira. You set-up the two way microphone already, didn't you?" Sousuke would be shocked to find a woman waiting for him in his bed. The blouse on the floor would be obviously displaying a name tag that Melissa had pilfered from Mira's room. This should lead to a choice reaction if Melissa's muffled voice could sound enough like Captain Concepcion's.  
  
"Of course, Cap'n. You KNOW that you can trust the amzing Lt. Weber!" He busied himself placing candles on Sousuke's desk, and by the side of his bed. "Oh, and by the way...you were having a TERRIFIC time in my dream. Sometimes life mimics art, you know...." He was Kurz Weber, after all.  
  
"Ha ha ha. Well, you guessed right. We need to get this done. Enjoy your victory...I can wait...." Melissa started whistling a happy tune, working away at the pump, blowing up the life-size rubber doll. The wig, already in place, looked very much like Casimira's hair. Kurz would soon mimic the doll's lifeless appearance.  
  
Kurz gulped. Well, if he was already going to pay the price, he might as well get the most out of it.... "You're working pretty diligently over there, Sis. But, don't you know, you can't pump your breasts any bigger that way?"  
  
Melissa stopped pumping. The room was totally quiet. That just wouldn't do for Kurz.  
  
"Oh, and it won't fix the lopsided one either!" He started chuckling happily.  
  
Very quietly, in an ominous flat tone of voice, Melissa spoke as if she were only talking to herself. "Ah. I certainly hope the ship's doctor isn't too busy tonight...."  
  
Whatever reply Kurz might have had was cut short when the door opened.  
  
Sousuke walked in. The flight out had been pushed up by two hours.  
  
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His mental turbulence had drained him emotionally more than the bumpy flights had drained him physically.  
  
Sousuke' mind screamed for attention: one part wanted to think about Kaname, their intimate moments, and possible futures; another part was trying to construct a decision tree, providing potential courses of action regarding his pursuit of less palatable discoveries.  
  
Likewise, his emotions clamored for attention. Love. Lust. Friendship. Relief. Anticipation. Interest. Fear. Those, for Kaname. Anger. Disappointment. Eagerness. Doubt. Shock. Sadness. Hurt. Those, for the uncertain perpetrators within Mithril.  
  
Physically, he was both on edge and worn out. Kaname had been relentless and insistent. She had told him they had years to catch up on. A number of muscles still ached from over-exertion during the street battle. His back was stiff from the poorly rigged chairs on the helicopter and the impromptu seats on the overstuffed transport plane. But, his muscles still were hyperactive, twitchy. He was still on a steep adrenaline ascent, and did not relish the fall from such a height. His body kept insisting that there were things that needed to get done NOW.  
  
Walking down the hallway of the TDD-3, his duffel bag felt heavier and heavier, as did his eyelids. The bag of beer he carried for Melissa certainly wasn't getting any lighter, either. Despite his less than pleasant discoveries, his heart felt buoyant enough to make up for it all.  
  
Opening the door to his cabin, he was surprised to see Kurz and Melissa busy at some form of obvious mischief. Sooner or later, they would make him pay for ruining their plan. That is, if their thoughts weren't preoccupied by the bombshells he was about to drop.  
  
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You could have heard a pin drop.  
  
Kurz and Melissa were caught red handed. Melissa near frantically searched for some way to blame it on Kurz. Kurz eagerly sought some way to turn it to his advantage. Neither felt inclined to speak at first.  
  
Sousuke glanced about the room in rapid succession, taking everything in. Full and empty beer cans. A woman's blouse on the floor, with a name tag that read "Capt. Concepcion." Woman's shoes, stockings, and lace undergarments. Candles on the floor, on his desk, and in Kurz' hands. A half-inflated rubber practice target with a non-regulation wig. A pump in Melissa's hands. A look of shock on Kurz' face, soon followed by a large smirk. Anger in Melissa's eyes at contrast with an embarrassed expression.  
  
Melissa was the first to break the silence. "Damn it all, Sagara. What the HELL are you doing here NOW!!!"  
  
Turning to her long-haired compatriot, she continued. "Kurz, if you fcked up the ETA Sousuke gave you, get used to singing Soprano!"  
  
Sousuke knew exactly how he wanted to play this. "Well, excuse me for returning to my own quarters after a long and exhaustive flight." He looked at his watch. "I am only five minutes earlier than the time I gave Lt. Weber."  
  
He kept his face straight. "If you wanted to surprise me, Captain Mao, wouldn't it have been smart to start earlier?" He tried to look puzzled. "I had thought better of your tactical abilities. Had we been in combat...."  
  
"GRRRRrrrrrrr." Melissa looked from Sousuke to Kurz and back to Sousuke again. She couldn't decide which one she was more pissed at. Well, when in doubt, fall back to the old standard.  
  
Melissa stood up cat quick and cat lithe, a panther ready to pounce. She took a cigarette lighter out of her pocket, turned the fuel up, and lit it. "Weber, I am going to shove each and every goddamn candle down your pants and light every fcking one on fire. I am then going to laugh while we all wait for YOUR candle to burn down to a nub!!! It should NOT take very long...."  
  
Kurz tried to duck down behind Sousuke. "Sousuke, you know that's NOT true. That's NOT the time you told me. You have to help me old buddy."  
  
Kurz couldn't see Sousuke's face, but Melissa could. Sousuke winked.  
  
Melissa went about the room gathering candles. "Lt. Sagara, I ORDER you to tell me the truth. You wouldn't cling to a falsehood if it would lead to the SEVERE injury of a squadmate, would you?" Her voice was very serious.  
  
"Of course NOT, Captain. A good soldier would NEVER do that!" Both Sousuke and Melissa tried to keep a straight face and an even voice. "Unless, of course, the squadmate was Lt. Weber!"  
  
"SOUSUKE!" Kurz should have known Sousuke was only joking...but with Melissa, it never paid to make assumptions.  
  
"Seriously, Captain---despite all of the tricks and practical jokes Lt. Weber has played on me in the past, I would never risk our friendship by causing him be unfairly abused."  
  
Kurz looked momentarily relived. He knew Sousuke couldn't keep up something like that for too long. He let out a long explosion of breath.  
  
"But that raises a very important conceptual point for debate. Is it even possible, by definition, to unfairly abuse Lt. Weber? What with all of the times he has badmouthed you, or sworn that he had received sexual pleasure from you that you were militarily beholden to deny...." Sousuke couldn't help from grinning briefly.  
  
"DAMN YOU WEBER!!! I can hear your sausage sizzling already!!!" Melissa made a good show of trying to get around Sousuke.  
  
Kurz bolted for the door. Sousuke stuck a foot out, sending him tumbling, stopping right at Melissa's feet. Yelping, Kurz rolled into a ball and stayed that way.  
  
Sousuke and Melissa looked at one another and smiled. It was all they could do to keep from laughing.  
  
"Kurz! What are you doing down there like that. Can't you see that Sousuke just got in. He's probably tired. He doesn't have time for any of your shenanigans!" Melissa walked over to Sousuke and gave him a big warm hug. "It's good to have you back, Sousuke!"  
  
"Ah! Yes, I see. You mean you're happy that I brought you your beer!" Sousuke picked up his bag and handed it to Melissa, who dove into it like a fox jumping into a chicken coop.  
  
"Hell yes! Now I remember why you are my FAVORITE squadmate!" She gloated over her bounty.  
  
Kurz stood up and brushed himself off. "It's good to see you deliver on your promises, Sousuke ole chum. So, where's my redhead?"  
  
Sousuke pointed to the label of a bottle Melissa had taken out to sample.  
  
"Sousuke, I'm very disappointed. But, I bet I KNOW what happened. You kept her for yourself, you rascal you!" Sousuke shook his head.  
  
"No red head? A brunette then!!!" This was a common Kurz routine, but Sousuke's response was subtly different this time. No one else would have noticed, but Kurz was all over it like white on bread.  
  
Kurz walked up to Sousuke, chuckling and rubbing his hands together. Melissa looked on and shook her head, a pained look on her face. She toasted Sousuke sarcastically with her beer.  
  
"So. A brunette. Is that why you stayed an extra day, you dog!" Kurz was in his element. It was time to make Sousuke squirm. He deserved it, after pandering to Melissa that way!  
  
"Yes." Sousuke couldn't help from smiling.  
  
Kurz was temporarily taken aback.  
  
"Sis! Sis! He's smiling. Whooo-hooo! Gaetano Casanova's baby boy Sousuke has done it again! So, are you keeping count? Good ole Giacomo wrote about 122 conquests that HE had! Oh yeh!"  
  
Kurz threw his hair back and could barely contain himself. "Hey, babe. In honor of Sousuke's good fortune, how about throwing me one of those redheads?" He gave Melissa his best smile and pose combo.  
  
Melissa looked at Kurz like he had just crawled out from under a rock. "Sousuke!" she said, throwing a beer to the younger soldier.  
  
Sousuke was definitely in the mood for a drink. He was enjoying the levity with his two friends---and still looked forward to seeing their reaction to Kaname's 'resurrection'---but the topic would turn much darker soon enough. "Thank you!" He returned Melissa's salute.  
  
Kurz looked between Melissa and Sousuke repeatedly, then scowled temporarily.  
  
His good humor flashed back at full flame. "Sousuke...Sousuke...Sousuke... remember, Casanova's plans to become a priest ended because of love affairs...AND drinking! I'm shocked. Totally shocked! Are you telling me you are set on giving up your quest for the cloth?"  
  
"Yes." Sousuke NEVER answered any of Kurz' ribald challenges. Kurz never actually expected him to.  
  
Melissa clapped her hands. Kurz needed a moment to regain control. Something REALLY good must have happened.  
  
"S-s-s-o, Sousuke...give! What was her name? Was it Henriette?" Kurz's classical education was showing.  
  
"No" was all that Sousuke answered.  
  
"S-s-so...." Kurz asked expectantly, his patience beginning to fray at both ends.  
  
Sousuke made it a point to read the fine print on the label of his near empty bottle.  
  
"Need another, Sousuke?" Melissa was smiling, watching Kurz's eyes.  
  
"Please!"  
  
Melissa lofted another bottle, but it was too close to Kurz, who grabbed it with a triumphant yell and an explosion of long hair. He went to twist off the top, only to realize Melissa had tricked him. It was an empty!!!  
  
The full bottle made its way from Melissa's hand to Sousuke. "These are really good, Melissa. REALLY good. After a hard day, they SURE hit the spot." He turned towards Kurz, a fake look of sympathy on his face. "It's a shame you can't have any, Kurz." He took a long pull. "Oh yeh!"  
  
"You were just about to tell us her name, Sousuke!" Kurz put in, helpfully. Or, more accurately, hopefully.  
  
"I was?" Sousuke checked to see if the writing on this bottle was the same as the wrtiting on the other. Melissa chuckled. This was even more fun than banging Kurz' head against the bulkhead!  
  
"Sousuke, would you be willing to tell me?" Melissa knew THAT would be certain to get Kurz.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Melissa got up and walked over to Sousuke, who stood and whispered into her ear "Will you keep it a secret, and allow me to tell Kurz in my time? It may not be easy."  
  
"Yes, I can do that." Melissa's interest was fully piqued at that moment. Just what had Sousuke gotten himself into?  
  
Kurz walked up real close, and put his ear near Melissa's. Melissa grabbed that ear, causing Kurz to wince. She then flipped Kurz over her shoulder, and watched him land in the far corner of the room. Oh! She hopped that Sousuke hadn't been overly fond of that end table.  
  
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Sousuke whispered "Kaname."  
  
"W-what?!" Usually cool Melissa lost her control ever so briefly. Was Sousuke joking? That was not a subject that she would expect him to make light of. Had he reverted to the days soon after the accident, when he thought that every dark-and-long haired girl he saw was Kaname? Had he met another woman named Kaname?  
  
Sousuke could well guess what thoughts must be running through his superior officer and friend's mind. "The original," he whispered. "We can discuss it later." He could understand the look of disbelief on Melissa's face. He simply nodded his head.  
  
Kurz walked somehat crookedly back to the heart of the action. He moved his hair from over his eyes and stared intently at Sousuke. "So, Sousuke, time to spill the beans. Who WAS it?!"  
  
"Someone you know." Sousuke smiled, knowing that Kurz would frantically try to figure out the identity.  
  
"Aha! From where, Sousuke? The sub?" Kurz' eyes went distant as he ran up a tally of the crew women on board. "Mia?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Rami?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Horie?"  
  
"No."  
  
It went on that way until Kurz's mental list was exhausted. "Not someone on board? Someone at the training facility? Oh! Minister Yokimura's daughter?"  
  
"No."  
  
Eventually Kurz could think of no additional names to ask. Sousuke thought it was just as well, as he grew weary of the game. He stood up and went over to his duffel bag. He removed a recent picture of himself and Kaname taken in a photo booth.  
  
Sousuke handed the picture to Melissa, who immediately and uncharacteristically teared up. "I...I wasn't certain I could believe you, Sousuke."  
  
Kurz tried to grab the picture, but the look Melissa gave him froze him immediately. THAT was nothing to mess with.  
  
Melissa stared at the picture wordlessly for a moment, then stood and walked over to Sousuke, enfolding him in a tender hug. "I'm so happy for you, Sousuke."  
  
Sousuke retrieved the picture and handed it to Kurz.  
  
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Kurz was a fine example of a man at war with himself. Two very different thoughts clamored for his attention, each having a single common denominator.  
  
Kaname was alive.  
  
She and Sousuke had done THE deed.  
  
He KNEW which fact was the more significant, and by a wide margin. How could she be alive? What had actually happened? How had Sousuke run across her again?  
  
Kaname was alive.  
  
She and Sousuke had done THE deed.  
  
Still, this was an epiphany, a major historical event. After so much waiting, the once clueless soldier had hooked up with the beautiful bipolar babe. Why had they kept Kurz waiting so long? The NERVE of them!  
  
Kaname was alive.  
  
She and Sousuke had done THE deed.  
  
Man! He wanted to do cartwheels. Both facts were the best news he had heard in a long long time. As pumped up as he was inside, he found he couldn't speak, couldn't move.  
  
Kaname was alive.  
  
She and Sousuke had done THE deed. Oh yeh!!!  
  
His overheated mind might have stayed in that loop endlessly, if Captain "Helpful" Mao hadn't taken things into her own hands. Strong ocular muscles kept Kurz' eyes within his head after Melissa smacked him heartily on the back.  
  
"SNAP OUT OF IT WEBER!!!" Melissa smiled. If the news had short-circuited Kurz' brain, then HE would be the butt of her practical jokes. It wouldn't take her too long to gather up a permanent marker and a pair of scissors. Perhaps even a camera. A no lose situation.  
  
"K-K-K-" His mind was turning over like a cold engine. Melissa though a good swift kick would get it going...it always seemed to work in the movies. She pictured Kurz's ass sitting on a tee, and aimed for the uprights.  
  
"Kan-ouw-ame!" Kurz said.  
  
"Not quite right!" Melissa said. Her foot swung back and forward again, a rather nasty pendulum.  
  
"Ouw. Shit! Ka-na-me." He glowered at Melissa.  
  
"Good dog!" Melissa said, winking at Sousuke. Sousuke closed his eyes and shook his head. He smiled. It was GOOD to be back.  
  
"Damn it all, Sis. If only...." Kurz looked ready to spit. Trust Melissa to find a way to interrupt his ecstasy!  
  
"Yes. If only you were a REAL man...then what?" Melissa cocked her head and smiled.  
  
"Then I'd be just like you, tough guy! There's a GOOD reason we never see you in a dress!" Kurz flexed, then clenched his teeth. He shifted his weight onto the balls of his feet. It looked as if he was about to do something extremely foolish. Melissa grinned in anticipation.  
  
"Fine pair of friends you two are. Don't you want to hear about Kaname?!!" Sousuke's words were like a cold bucket of water poured over both of their heads...while they stood on a live electrical grid!  
  
"Oh, sorry Sousuke." Kurz cringed, then looked extremely sheepish.  
  
"Old habits die hard" Melissa offered in lieu of an apology.  
  
"So, where should I start?" Sousuke asked, already predicting what Kurz' reply would be.  
  
"Well, how you found her!" Kurz said, surprisng Sousuke. "I mean, how you found her to be a choice morsel between the sheets!!! Oh Yeh!!! And....arrrrggghh." Melissa pulled a handful of his hair out.  
  
"Start from the beginning, Sousuke. It's OK to leave out anything you find too personnel." She smiled at Kurz, who was giving her the finger and the evil eye. "You can then tell me the rest after we drop Kurz off at sick bay."  
  
Sousuke filled them in on the pertinent details from his recent trip to Osaka. The mission. His role in blunting the gang violence. Kaname's and his discovery of one another. The put-down of her ex-boyfriend. A sanitized version of the time spent at Kaname's apartment.  
  
"Well, Sousuke, you stud among studs, that still does NOT explain why you didn't bring me back a red head!" Kurz laughed. "Do you think Melissa would look good as a red head?"  
  
Kurz dodged a vicious sweep by Melissa's leg, leaping easily above it and out of the way. "Getting slow there, babe! Maybe we ought to bring you back to the dealer for a check up. Unless you just want me to give you a lube job! Oh yeh!!!"  
  
Melissa did am impressive duck and roll, bowling Kurz over, finishing the move off with a fierce elbow to the gut. With Kurz making noises like a hippo with a belly ache, Melissa say down hard on him, and turned her complete attention towards Sousuke. Her face was very serious.  
  
"Sousuke. You said that the two of you discussed possibilities. Unless I miss my guess, your top suspects would have to be Tessa, Stoneface, and who- knows-who in the upper eschelon. Right?" To Melissa, 'Stoneface' was a term of less-than-endearment for Lt. Cmdr. Mardukas.  
  
"That is correct, Melissa."  
  
"You don't REALLY think that Tessa could have been involved in the scheme, do you?" Melissa sounded extremely concerned, torn between her friendship for Sousuke and her friendship for Tessa. "I can't believe she would do something so cruel to you...or to Kurz and myself!"  
  
"Urf...why not, Sis...oof...she always had the big time hots for the love machine over there...ahhh, urrr...and you KNOW she...oof...turned the jets on big time towards...errrr...him afterwards." Kurz was having a difficult time speaking with Melissa squashing his chest and abdomen.  
  
Melissa stood up slowly. "Shut up, Kurz. I can't see Melissa doing something like that just to get her paws on Sousuke. She wouldn't take that kind of risk. She wouldn't do that to me! She knows how you and I feel about him."  
  
"You're probably right, babe. But, there might have been other reasons. Tessa had her own priorities, and we were not at the top of the list." Kurz was being reasonable, but the words sounded dirty even to him.  
  
Melissa turned her back on Kurz. "Sousuke! What do YOU think?"  
  
"I understand how you feel, Captain." Sousuke knew he had to walk wary if he was going to have any hope at keeping Melissa unbiased. "I have a hard time believing that Tessa could do that...both as my erstwhile commander, and as my friend."  
  
He noticed Melissa's tension level drop considerably. However, he had to push onward. "Nevertheless, I am forced to address the matter from a different direction. I pose this question: how could this thing have occurred WITHOUT her foreknowledge?"  
  
"That's right, Captain Soft Heart and Hard Head! I want to believe Tessa is innocent as much as you do, but how can we explain THAT?" Kurz was clearly wrestling with the potentially harsh reality.  
  
"Mardukas! That stiff-necked stuffy old bastard could have done it!" Melissa was vehement, bordering on venomous.  
  
"C'mon, Sis. Do you think he and his over-starched pants would have done something like that behind her back, without her ever catching even the slightest hint?" Kurz was incredulous. "Even if someone else forced HIM to do it, don't you think that Tessa would have personally talked to the leader of the I.G. squad sent in to look for details?" It was a damning question. An intelligence gathering squad should have been an automatic response. If one had not been sent, that would be another point of suspicion.  
  
"Who's to say she DIDN'T, you ass?! What if someone higher up put a clamp on things. What if there was a threat too big to ignore?" Melissa's tone of voice brooked no disagreement.  
  
Sousuke found himself unwilling to believe in extenuating circumstances at that moment. Could there be ANY valid excuse for the thing that was done to him and Kaname? Still, a part of his mind realized that he should at least give Tessa the benefit of the doubt to start with. If facts later damned her, he would have all of eternity to curse her and despise her.  
  
"Melissa, I am the one who was hurt the most. Myself, and Kaname. Even so, I do not wish to rush and place Tessa's head in a noose." Melissa's gaze softened a touch, but she still clenched her fists and breathed heavily.  
  
Sousuke would not back off or back down. "We can determine nothing without answers. And, we cannot find any answers by sitting here, clinging to the remnants of our hopes and wishes. Can we at least agree on that point?"  
  
"Yes" Melissa said grudgingly. "However, do we need to find the answers? Do we really? We don't know that Tessa did anything wrong by her own hand or by her own design. If we take this too far, she might be hurt unfairly!"  
  
"Unfairly! Sis, listen to yourself! Was anything that Sousuke and Kaname had to live through fair?! You KNOW what they felt for each other...what they were both going through, even in the best of times. How can you take Tessa's side over THAT?!"  
  
Melissa looked as if she were painfully stuck on the horns of a dilemma. "Yes, I realize that, Kurz. I realize that. It's just...." She was clearly having a terrible time accepting some of the possibilities. "But, that doesn't mean we should assume anything. Tessa doesn't deserve pain and hardship any more than Sousuke did."  
  
"Are we sure of that?" Kurz was determined that Sousuke would have at least one person in his corner.  
  
"Kurz, just listen a moment. Tessa has worked very hard at her job, and it has torn her to pieces mentally and emotionally. She has served the greater good in more ways than any of us may ever know. And, she has done that while she was terribly lonely. I KNOW. I wiped away her tears on numerous occasions. She poured out her heart to me more times than I wish to remember!"  
  
"OK. And?"  
  
Melissa stared at Kurz, but his resolve did not melt in the slightest. She continued, crossing a line. "It's not common knowledge, but she was offered a research and developement job landside, at Mithril's top facility. She will be stepping down from the TDD-1's captain's chair one month from tomorrow."  
  
That was news to both Kurz and Sousuke.  
  
Melissa considered whether or not she should go any further. She had already broken confidence. But, this was a serious matter, and all cards should be placed face up on the table. "In addition to that, she has finally found someone she can give her heart to. Someone who has grown to care for her deeply. Do you understand now what we are playing with?"  
  
Kurz began to speak. Sousuke waved him off. He chose his next words very carefully. "I understand what you are telling us, Melissa. I do not intend to treat things lightly or flippantly. I am not out for revenge. I will not use a heavy machine gun where a stun grenade is called for."  
  
"I know that, Sousuke. But..." It was Melissa's turn to be waved off.  
  
"Melissa, I will never ask you to choose between Tessa and myself. That is not my business or my concern. However, as one who does not often speak on my own behalf, I will do so now."  
  
Melissa froze at the tone of Sousuke's voice. There was a ring of maturity that she had not heard there before. It was almost humbling, as if she were listening to someone many years her elder.  
  
"If Tessa is indeed innocent, I will rejoice in her happiness and good fortune. Regardless of whatever she may have done, I will never fail to appreciate the great service she has done for each of us in this room, and I will not forget the debt of gratitude that the entire planet owes her."  
  
Kurz too was struck by the sheer rightness of the younger man's speech. Sousuke was his friend, and someone he enjoyed teasing and harassing. But, he was also someone worthy of great respect and admiration. Not only because of his courage and determination. Not simply for his prowess in combat.  
  
"Nonetheless, both Kaname and I have also served in our own ways as well. Together and separately, we also deserve a chance at happiness. Neither of us can assume that the past can not come back to haunt us. Can you, with no more answers than you currently have, guarantee that Kaname and I are no longer at risk from whatever forces were arrayed against us? Should we feel safe and comfortable, not knowing the motives involved or the individuals responsible?"  
  
Melissa hung her head. There were no answers to counter Sousuke's claims and implications. In a rare moment, Kurz safely lay his hand on her shoulder, offering comfort. In an even rare moment, she squeezed that hand gratefully, murmuring "Thank you."  
  
All three remained quiet for a while, organizing their thoughts.  
  
Melissa was the first to break the silence. In a strong and determined voice, she asked "What should we do then? Sousuke, what are your suggestions?"  
  
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The three had discussed possible options, ranging from ignoring the past, upwards to a highly visible challenge to the High Command to provide suitable answers. As one might expect, the best potential solutions lay somewhere in between those two extremes.  
  
After judging his state of mind, and getting a full accounting of his intentions, Melissa and Kurz were willing to follow Sousuke's lead, allowing him to serve as point person and scout. He would meet with Cmdr. Horowitz and Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Elieden---informing them of his discoveries; seeking their council; and hopefully obtaining their permission for further action.  
  
As there were no current or looming missions, Sousuke had little difficulty arranging a meeting with his two commanders.  
  
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Cmdr. Joachim Horowitz, distinguished commander of the SSBN-AS 746 Ladon before his voluntary retirement from the U.S. Navy, was a stern faced middle-aged gentleman with thick greying hair, a fencer's build, and a pair of exceedingly keen and intense blue eyes hiding behind thick-rimmed glasses. He had trained himself as an ace debater, and was an exceptionally well read navy historian. He had a sharp wit and a wicked sense of humor, either or which could readily be used to flay any subordinate who crossed lines that should remain uncrossed.  
  
Sousuke hoped that his commander would see the need for this discussion, and would not view him as a trouble-maker or a turncoat.  
  
Lt. Cmdr. Aharon Ben-Elieden, long time member of the Israeli Defense Forces, was a silent brooding rock of a man. Squat, dark of hair and skin, and walking with a ballet dancer's grace, he was extraordinary broad through the shoulders, and had limbs of equally impressive girth. His widely set brown eyes might seem distant at times, but they never missed a thing. He also had the best sense of anticipation that Sousuke had ever experienced, and his judgment was impeccable. To those who did not know him, he might appear humorless, even dull. However, he was simply reserved and efficient. He too was an avid historian.  
  
Sousuke looked at the commander of the SRT forces, very much aware that he himself was under similar scrutiny. They had many similarities in character, and had an excellent working relationship.  
  
When an orderly delivering sandwiches and drinks had left, Cmdr. Horowitz leaned back in his chair and gave the meeting over to Sousuke. To anyone inquiring, this was a de-briefing attached to the recent Osaka mission and to gang-related events that drew the participation of a member of Mithril.  
  
"We have sixty minutes tops, Lt. Sagara, but I would prefer we leave before half of that time elapses. You stated that you had urgent matters to discuss. You may now do so. The Lt. Cmdr. and I will attempt to hold all questions until the end of your initial report. We will, however, reserve the right to interject when necessary. Begin." The older man's body looked relaxed, but Sousuke knew otherwise.  
  
Because neither man was a member of Mithril during the time of his Tokyo mission, Sousuke gave a capsular summary of his duties and activities. He went as far as to describe his and Kaname's personal relationship, being of the opinion that such knowledge might provide additional information needed to formulate possible motives and suspects.  
  
Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Elieden interjected with a question. "Lieutenant, do you believe that your relationship with your charge adversely affected your professional performance? Was the mission at risk because of your indiscretion?"  
  
Sousuke was not pleased by the judgment that 'indiscretion' implied, but knew full well that he might interpret things similarly if he were assessing someone else in a similar situation. "In all honesty, I do not, sir. I believe my record speaks for itself, in those regards. If anything, Miss Chidori and I formed a very good team, far beyond the sum of the parts. If there was one area that would have concerned my direct superiors, it was my penchant for precipitating trouble through misinterpretation and miscalculation."  
  
"Ah, I would like you to speak a few moments on that, if you may, Lieutenant...." That from Cmdr. Horowitz.  
  
Sousuke gave pertinent examples, and quoted Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin's commentary on the level of dissatisfaction within the Financial Division.  
  
Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Elieden spoke up, chuckling quietly. "I can attest to that characterization. Cmdr. Kalinin and I had a lengthy discussion regarding Sagara's prior performance. I will add, that I am quite satisfied that his judgment has improved remarkably over the past few years. What remains to be seen is whether that was because he was separated from the young lady, or despite that fact."  
  
Sousuke continued his summary, noting the personal and professional changes that occured as a result of his and Kaname's transition from higschool to college.  
  
He then described the preparation for the Iran mission, leading up to the explosive part of his report.  
  
"Before I was to leave, Captain Testarossa brought me an urgent communique reporting that Miss Chidori had been killed in an automobile accident. The next day, she showed me a newspaper obituary and front page story that appeared to corroborate that fact. I was not allowed to return to Japan for the supposed funeral, and had not been back to that land until the kidnap rescue mission. No further information was available to me at the time."  
  
Both older men were visibly shaken by the events and the attendant implications.  
  
"Was a counter story provided to Miss Chidori?" Cmdr. Horowitz asked.  
  
"Yes. She received a communication supposedly from the High Command, reporting that the TDD-1 had been lost at sea, with no further explanation. The message claimed that all hands were on board, and that all were lost. Miss Chidori was also told that she was no longer under the protection of Mithril." Sousuke went on to describe Kamame's actual accident, and her report to Mithril representatives.  
  
Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Elieden slapped his hand upon the table top, visibly angered. "Lieutenant, you were absolutely correct in bringing this matter before us. Now, please tell us what level of discretion you have observed in this matter."  
  
"Miss Chidori and I discussed matters, given we were both victims of the act. I also shared matters with Capt. Mao and Lt. Weber, as they were close friends with Miss Chidori, and because I trust them, and because they should be aware of anything that I---as a squadmate---might choose to do. Beyond that, I have told no one."  
  
Cmdr. Horowitz scrutinized Sousuke closely. "Were this a sailing vessel, under strict naval law, it would have been a serious violation to share those details with anyone other than your commanding officer, who then would give or withhold permission to disseminate things further." He noticed with satisfaction that Sousuke nodded his head, clearly having already thought among those lines.  
  
"You realize that you theoretically could have risked premature awareness by potential opponents, do you not?" The Lt. Cmdr. had a valid point.  
  
"Yes. Especially since Capt. Mao is close with Tessa, and Lt. Weber is not the model of propriety. However, to be honest, my concerns extended beyond that." The look in Sousuke's eyes---and the manner he glanced at each man-- -drove his point home,  
  
Cmdr. Horowitz smiled briefly, and saluted Sousuke casually. "True. You could not know for a fact where my or the Lt. Cmdr.'s true allegiances reside. I will try not to take that as an attack on my character."  
  
"Myself as well" Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Elieden added, also throwing a salute. "I must say I am pleased that you followed proper protocol despite any possible doubts. It was the correct decision. As to Mao and Weber, you wanted to work your thoughts out with them before meeting with us, correct?"  
  
"Yes, sir. And, I wanted to make certain I was not overlooking some crucial point, being so close to the matter. Also, I will say that I wanted to be able to judge my comrade's likely actions. If I had detected something of concern, I wanted to be able to bring it to both of your attention."  
  
"I see. I have no problem with that analysis. Aharon?" Cmdr. Horowitz was pleased by the young soldier's presence of mind.  
  
"No. I have no problems either. Lieutenant, your behavior has been without serious flaw. I approve of your decisions." He was gratified to see that his assessment of Sousuke held true.  
  
Sousuke was asked to describe his personal analysis of possible motives and perpetrators. He did so.  
  
"Logical and complete. An excellent synthesis. I would not have anything to add, restricted to your level of clearance. However, there are further points to discuss, and I expect that such discussion will remain privy to the three of us for the moment. Is that understood?" Cmdr. Horowitz' question was purely rhetorical, but it did bind each man to secrecy by point of honor.  
  
Sousuke and the Lt. Cmdr. both assented.  
  
"First, I will say that I have had no reason up to this point to suspect Capt. Testarossa or Cmdr. Mardukas of divided loyalties. That does not mean, however, that either one is exonerated without further exploration. In this matter, by necessity, they must be assumed guilty until proven innocent. Especially since my knowledge of both of them is deficient in comparison to your own. Is there anything that you know about either of them that would prove useful to us?"  
  
Sousuke nodded his head. "Captain Testarossa was attracted to me, and wished to have a relationship that I did not deem proper. She was persistent in those regards before and after Miss Chidori's supposed demise. In retrospect, I understand that both women viewed each other as rivals for my affections, even though my choice had already been made. Cmdr. Mardukas was not fond of me, in large part because I served as a lightning rod to Capt. Testarossa. He also did not favor my attitude, my judgment, or my choice of companions."  
  
Both older men stored that information away.  
  
Cmdr. Horowitz continued with his discussion. "My second point will be based mainly upon hearsay. Nonetheless, there are some things that speak of hidden truths, personal behaviors, and political allegiances. I am refrering to members of the upper echelon and their possible connection to these past events. I must say that I have met few such men personally, and have only a cursory understanding of the complete effective distribution of power within Mithril." The Cmdr. broke off a corner of a pastrami sandwich, chewed a moment and swallowed, following up the morsel with a long sip of ice water.  
  
"No doubt, many of the men possess strong ethics and admirable goals. But, even such men can readily develope personal agendas, and a proclivity to treat unseen personnel as pawns in their maneuverings. As such, any member of the High Command needs to be considered suspect, at least at the introductory level of our analysis. There are three members of the group, however, who may warrant closer examination. Those of us outside of the council---who nonetheless are forced to interact with them or their decisions at a higher level---secretly think of them as Rogue Elephants." More of the sandwich disappeared. The Lt. Cmdr. also reached for something to whet his appetite, selecting a corned beef sandwhich and a glass of iced tea. Sousuke was not hungry.  
  
Cmdr. Horowitz sighed, an uncharacteristic gesture for him. Sousuke judged that he was beset by a very heavy realization. "Rogue Elephants is an apt description, and not merely because of the analogy. Imagine yourself a lone hunter, armed only with a spear. You face a fiercesome and unpredictable beast many times your size, seemingly invulnerable. If it wants you dead, you will be a crushed and oozing mass staining the savannah. A gnat or other annoyance it might ignore. An obvious challenge will be dealt with swiftly and severely."  
  
Both Sousuke and Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Elieden were entranced by the mental image of power and unpredictability. They had each faced unworkable odds in battle on more than one occasion during their careers.  
  
Cmdr. Horowitz paused, giving his sandwich no opportunity to escape. Wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin, he continued. "It takes a coordinated hunting party---or a man with weapons more advanced than that setting---to bring down such a monster, and even then the collateral damage can be considerable. Another rogue might hold its ground, or might simply pay little heed. A battle between two can be devastating. If more than one rogue joins forces, stepping outside the normal boundaries of nature, one can only imagine the potential ramifications."  
  
Cmdr. Horowitz sensed that both men completely understood the point he wanted to make.  
  
"The first of our three rogues---and the most dangerous, in many ways---is Vyacheslav Borodenko, a French national of Old Russian descent. He is intimately involved in the procurement of funds for Mithril, and there have been rumors that some of his methods go beyond the limits of the organization's moral and ethical boundaries. Allegations of connections with the Russian Mafia have been made in the past, but no proof has come to light. He is, by report, a disarming rascal, a man possessed of unparalled sales ability and unequaled unctuousness. No doubt he does a yeoman's job at winning over investors and budget directors. But, there is also the unending concern that he is just as adept at blackmail and other unsavory methods."  
  
"Sir. I do not wish to interrupt, but why would such a man even know of My existence or Miss Chidori's?" Sousuke was clearly puzzled.  
  
"Lieutenant, even if he were the man ultimately responsible, he may not know of your existence, and may have no clue what actions his underlings had chosen. He is a man who sets certain goals, and acts readily on behalf of those individuals he forms alliance with. He is adept at making ruthless decisions, and at assigning expectations. He likely does not dirty his hands with the details. If your actions somehow came to cross purposes with anything in his or his underlings' best interests or preferences, you would be worthy of someone's attention. That goes for anything you may be planning from this point forward."  
  
"Thank you, sir." Worse and worse.  
  
Suddenly, inspiration hit Sousuke. "Sir, my unfortunate reputation with the members of the Financial Division. Could that have somehow gone far enough up the line to draw untoward attention?"  
  
Cmdr. Horowitz nodded his head. "We cannot discount that possibility." He removed his glasses and cleaned them before resuming his exposition.  
  
"The second of the elephantine trio is Lord Rufus Elgin, a direct descendant of Thomas Bruce Lord Elgin, a man both revered and reviled for his bringing of priceless sculptures from the Acropolis to England. Lord Elgin, a former member of the House of Lords, has his tentacles spread throughout the legal department of Mithril. Likewise, he has tight connections with lawmakers from various nations. While I am unaware of any shady activities attached to his name, I have heard that he views himself as a Lord in every sense of the word, and that he is content at empire building within the constraints of his current position. By most accounts, he has admirable goals. But he too is apt to delegate minutia, and some of his subordinates have less than pleasant proclivities when their goals run aground on the shoals of morality. Results are the first, second, and third priority for such men, well meaning as they may be in most circumstances."  
  
"I can see a possible connection with this one" Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Elieden supplied, reaching for another sandwich. He looked at Sousuke. "If your long history of financial and legal casualties reached that level, someone may have wanted to keep losses and legal entanglements to a minimum."  
  
"Yes, I agree." Cmdr. Horowitz smiled momentarily, restraining himself from issuing a short bark of laughter. "Lt. Sagara, no doubt you have been told this before. You were quite the terror!"  
  
"So I have been told on many occasions, sir."  
  
"No doubt. No doubt. Back to our nature walk. The third of our ultra- heavyweights is General Michael Bonnano, an oft-decorated Marine and hero in two wars. His reputation as a soldier has not diminished since his retirement from the Corps. The term 'hard ass' was coined for him, whether or not he was born at the time. His is not a politician...he is a bulldozer on two legs, one of which sports a prosthesis. To some commanders, the memories of being a non-com teaches them humility and empathy. To others, their personal survival of harsh and inhumane conditions simply proves that others should also be able to accomplish the same. General Bonanno falls within the latter category. Body parts are expendable. Soldiers are expendable. Victory is everything. The good guys have to win, whatever the cost. His attitude wraps itself like a vine around the thoughts and decisions of all those officers and officials who directly serve under him."  
  
"I understand. If life and limb mean nothing compared to victory, then the happiness of two intact and living individuals would be beneath notice." Sousuke had met many soldiers with that very indoctrination. "If my actions came to someone's notice, and someone complained to the wrong person that I was too valuable to be wasted guarding one woman...." Sousuke did not need to finish the thought.  
  
"Exactly. Unfortunate, but true. To some men in power, we are all nothing more than dead men walking." Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Elieden had long ago come to terms with that unfortunate truth.  
  
"Indeed" Cmdr. Horowitz commiserated. "Our next line of thought should be potential courses of action. Lt. Cmdr., I would appreciate your rough analysis of the generalities."  
  
"Certainly. We should start at the most basic. Do we leave Lt. Sagara alive, or kill him." He laughed sharply. Sousuke was fairly certain he was joking.  
  
"Yes" Cmdr. Horowitz couldn't resist.  
  
"Seriously, though. The first decision node involves continued service with Mithril. The Lieutenant could resign, and take his chances as a civilian, acting under the assumption that his actions as a soldier would no longer matter by definition. The risk there comes with his exceptional abilities and his long time knowledge of this organization, its methods, and its members. He would be an attractive recruit to any number of organizations, of unknown moral caliber. By extension, he could be perceived as a threat to Mithril."  
  
Sousuke had arrived at that decision independently, numerous times throughout the years.  
  
"Assuming continual service, the next node relates to continued relationship with Miss Chidori. If no relationship is desired, then matters can continue as they are now, with everyone worse for the knowledge they have. Or, the past actions can be pursued further. Should a personal relationship be re-established, it might be tailored to avoid the issues that prompted previous efforts to the contrary. We are by no means beholden to provide the young Whispered with a guard again. Subsequent pursuit of the perpetrators might or might not prove advisable. We do, however, need to realize that we are dealing with unknown mean and women whose egos might not allow them to simply condone a relationship they sought to destroy in the past. Pride, mechanical thinking, an urge for complete certainty, any number of issues could complicate matters."  
  
There were shreds of hope there, but nothing was a certainty. It was simply a matter of assigning levels of risk, and assessing levels of comfort. Sousuke was no stranger to that line of thought.  
  
The Lt. Cmdr. wiped his brow with a handkerchief and continued. "Once we reach the decision node that represents pursuit of those responsible for prior acts, things branch off in complicated fashion. Who should be informed? Who should be involved? Who should be pursued? What methods should be employed? What amount of time can be spared? What level of secrecy can be maintained? How widespread can the ripples spread if the search is a success? How many dominoes will fall if the efforts go awry? When is the best time to act? When should each potential target be scouted and probed? In what manner? By whom? The branches continue to split and split again. It is far too complicated an analysis to pursue de novo and impromptu."  
  
Cmdr. Horowitz nodded his head after removing his cap and briefly rubbing his scalp.  
  
"That, I fear, is the unavoidable truth. I certainly need to sleep on this and consider as many possibilities as I can. I would ask that each of you do the same. I shouldn't have to tell you just how large a powder keg each of us is sitting on now."  
  
The Cmdr. looked purposefully at Sousuke. "Lt. Sagara, if you wish to script possible information gathering missions with Capt. Mao and Lt. Weber, you are free to do so as long as no additional individuals are informed of the events we are discussing, and as long as none of you attempts independent action. You may give thought to people you might wish to employ, and can bring any suggestions and recommendations with you the next time we meet. Gentlemen, I believe that we have accomplished as much as we can today. I will contact both of you when I am ready for further discussion of this matter." 


	3. O What a Tangled Web pt 2

Music filled the air, courtesy of an exquisite Viennese chamber ensemble. Large tapers burned at the center of each grandly set table, and the scent of freshly cut blossoms filled the air. Couples danced on the marble floor, underneath intricate crystal chandeliers, in an area at the center of the room. Waiters in pressed white tuxedos flitted about the tables, like bees going from flower to flower.  
  
Watching from a balcony, Melissa felt exposed and out of place. Although the large mirror on the wall told her otherwise, she was certain there was something about here appearance that screamed she did not belong in a place like this. Her dress was hideously expensive, but wonderful to behold.  
  
A perfectly dressed matre de approached her, informing her that the table was now ready and she could now be seated. Her guest would be brought to the table when she arrived.  
  
Walking down a large curving stairway--one of the architectural wonders of the Comme Chez Cygne restaurant---Melissa drank in the fine artwork and splendid furniture in countless nooks and crannies. Making her way between tables, she was nearly overwhelmed by a palpable sense of ambience.  
  
Her mind wandered. She thought back to her last conversation with Sousuke and Kurz aboard the TDD-3. A fortunate turn of events highlighted their discussion. In addition, Cmdr. Horowitz given them permission to attempt a low level mission, one which would involve a single potential participant in the prior fraudulent reports. They were to be as discrete as possible, and as ruthless as required. The expenses from the foray would come from their own pockets. Neither he nor Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Elieden had ever heard anything about the mission, or about the past events that triggered it. They would do absolutely nothing to draw attention to Mithril.  
  
Melissa felt guilty when she thought about that particular turn of events. Tessa had told her that she would be attending a meeting in Brussels, and would then join her boyfriend for a brief European vacation, stopping along the way to meet with his parents. In return, Melissa informed her that the Urzu team would be in Germany at the same time, meeting in secret with knowledgeable German military personnel. Melissa offered to buy Tessa dinner at a posh Belgian restaurant, in honor of her impending retirement as an active submarine commander. Tessa was only too happy to accept.  
  
How could she do this to Tessa, after all they had been through together? Melissa tried to justify matters, telling herself that this would take place among friends, not in front of a military tribunal or deep in some dark alleyway. And, all of the operatives involved were her indeed friends, or at the very least had once considered themselves such. The coup de grace would be shocking, if the game lasted that long. The choreography was set up in stages, with stepwise progression at each point of failure.  
  
Melissa's self recriminations were interrupted bt the returning matre de, walking in with Tessa on his arm. How had she charmed the man---he was positively fawning over her.  
  
Melissa stood, embracing Tessa warmly, trying not to seem abnormally stiff.  
  
"Melissa, this is such a wonderful place. I am so glad to see you again. And I am amazed at how marvelous you look in that dress. It certainly is s good thing that Kurz is hundreds of miles away, shivering somewhere in the Alps!" Tessa looked splendid in her dress, one she had not worn since her visit to the opera with Sousuke. She had felt moments of near suffocating guilt, but felt a need to overcome her past fear and trepidation.  
  
"Yes, Kurz would certainly put a damper on the evening." That was more true than Melissa would say. Her throat felt thick, but she was speaking in a smooth and strong voice.  
  
Their conversation bounced around randomly, touching on current events, past times together, and current gossip from both of the submarines. Melissa had made it a point to order a new bottle of wine each time they found the bottom of the current one. Tessa was past her drinking threshold, laughing giddily, and occasionally fanning herself with her wine menu. When the food arrived, she herself was ripe for the plucking.  
  
"I still can't believe how happy I am now" Tessa started, driving an emotional stake into Melissa's heart. "I only wish things could be that wonderful for you. I wish that Gordon had accepted a position with Mithril. That way you could see him more often."  
  
"It's probably best that he didn't, Tessa. The world is a safer place this way. I get into enough trouble with Sousuke and Kurz as it is." She stopped, sighing. "Besides, it will be a long and winding road, with a good chance of a fatal wreck if we drive too fast. There's still no guarantee how things will end up." Seeing her chance, Melissa allowed a strong note of melancholy to permeate her speech.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry if that's a touchy subject. I didn't mean to make you sad, especially not tonight." Tessa sounded truly concerned.  
  
"It's not that," Melissa said honestly. "I was thinking of Sousuke. He still hasn't found anyone to replace Kaname, and I wonder if he ever will. I suppose it is all water under the bridge, but I can't help but feel as if the accident happened just yesterday. I still can't believe that she's gone!"  
  
Tessa was caught entirely off guard. For a brief moment she looked frantic. A strange look flashed across her face, possibly guilt. Even tipsy, she was able to regain her composure quickly, forcing herself to look saddened herself. "I can't either."  
  
Melissa wiped her eyes. Tessa would have no way of knowing there were no tears there. Head bowed, the AS pilot moved her fork in seeming absentminded fashion across her plate, looking as if she were deep in thought. She was quiet for an uncomfortable period of time.  
  
"Melissa?" Tessa asked, without any response. "Melissa, are you OK?"  
  
Shaking her head fiercely, Melissa squared her shoulders and shook her arms every so slightly. "I'm sorry Tessa, I don't want to ruin the mood. Sometimes, though, the pain comes back unannounced. It was so sudden, and the details were so limited. It's been hard to get any kind of closure!"  
  
"I'm sorry. It's been hard for everyone."  
  
Melissa wanted to believe that. But she had seen Tessa's look earlier. There was no choice. She had to continue fishing for reactions, even though her friend was on guard now.  
  
"Tessa, it's been a while now. Is there anything more you can tell me? You know it won't go any further than here." Melissa ached inside, telling that lie. The pain in her voice then was real.  
  
"Melissa, I...." Tessa's voice did not crack or waver, but there was an unmistakable look of fear in her eyes.  
  
"Please! Even if it's something simple. Did you have anything sent to her funeral? Flowers? A representative? Some form of condolences for her father and sister?" This was a safe topic. A trap was set, and it would prove instructive to see where Tessa's foot landed.  
  
Tessa's answer was swift, unforced. "Yes, Melissa. I arranged to have flowers sent, and Mithril anonymously set up a memorial college fund in her name at Jindai Highschool. No one that knew her personally was able to attend the services, unfortunately." Tessa hoped that those lies would steer Melissa away from the topic of conversation, the longer the better.  
  
Melissa's face crumbled, she could not prevent it. Tessa's duplicity struck her hard, doubly so because it had been directed at herself and her friends, and because it was perpetrated by another friend. It was a simple matter to cover for the reaction, however. "It hurt so much, not being able to pay my respects in person."  
  
A prearranged signal, Melissa jerked her hand up to her forehead, knocking over a water glass in the process. Two waiters moved closer to the table, standing uncharacteristically still, not making any attempt to assist with the clean up.  
  
A familiar woman walked up to their table soon thereafter. "Tessa, how wonderful to see you here. Melissa, I was able to break away for a while after all. I hope I am not intruding on a personal conversation!" Casimira Concecion looked stunning in a black split calf dress embroidered with colorful South American beads.  
  
Tessa was taken aback. Melissa hadn't mentioned anything about Mira joining them this evening. "Mira, I must say I am surprised to see you. Surprised but happy!" She truly was pleased. There was a chance that this would take Melissa's mind off of a very hazardous topic. "What are you doing in Brussels?"  
  
"Business" Capt. Concepcion answered. "I suppose I can tell you. Cmdr. Horowitz had sent me to Antwerp to meet with some of our covert operatives, one of whom does stage work for the latest run of Les Contes d'Hoffman." The latter was one of the more popular European operas at the time. "An old enemy we thought vanquished may be raising its ugly head again." She nodded her head, as if to say it was a matter of where and how, not 'if.'  
  
"She was planning to spend her time alone. That would be boring, so I asked if she could join us. She said it was unlikely, so I didn't think to mention it." Melissa sounded truthful and sincere.  
  
"Fortune smiled on me. Things went quicker than anyone had a right to expect. Given that, I looked forward to a marvelous dinner in pleasant company. And, I couldn't pass up such a rare event...Melissa Mao treating people to dinner!" Both Tessa and Casimira laughed, and Melissa frowned convincingly. "But, Miss Mao is sadly mistaken. I was not bored. I still had plenty of time to view plenty of Rubens, and I spent a month's pay on dresses by Nadine Wynants and Walter Van Beirendonck."  
  
"Hah! Boring AND excessive. Mira, what in God's name do you need any more fancy dresses for? Besides, you're beautiful enough without them." Melissa laughed half-heartedly, perking up somewhat.  
  
Capt. Concepcion looked at Tessa. "Well, if rumors are correct, you won't be jealous. I hope!" She turned to pat Melissa on the hand. "You're not working hard enough on your squadmate for me, Melissa. It's rare that a man escapes when I get my hook in him, but there has been no sign that Lt. Sagara has any intention of being reeled back in again."  
  
"Mira! You and Sousuke!" Tessa looked incredulous, not jealous.  
  
"You sound surprised." Casimira came dangerously close to gloating. "Not being his commanding officer, I had certain advantages. Persistence and and experience proved effective assistants and patient bedfellows."  
  
"I am rather surprised, " Tessa said cheerfully, without a hint of envy. "I never knew that Melissa could keep a secret. This was the first I heard of it." Tessa stared at Melissa in an accusatory manner. "Some friend you are Melissa!"  
  
That final statement stabbed at Melissa from inside and out, never mind that it was said only in jest. Just what kind of friend had Tessa been before? What kind of friends were Mira and herself now?  
  
"Melissa, are you alright? I am certain Tessa was only joking." Getting no response from Melissa, Casimira continued. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Tessa and I...." Melissa sounded depressed, downhearted.  
  
"We were discussing some rather difficult times in the past before, but I think we have had enough of that for now, if you don't mind. The food and company are too good to ruin with any further such talk." Tessa said that a little too shrilly and quickly.  
  
"Sousuke, Mira. By coincidence we were talking about Sousuke. And Kaname." Melissa's gaze looked more intense now. "I was hoping for some answers." Her gaze turned thoughtful. "Maybe you could help! How about it, Mira!"  
  
"I have to apologize, Melissa. I am truly sorry. I tried to find out something before, but a level four block had been put on the situation. I wasn't going to tempt fate and challenge that. Oh!" Casimira feined shock and embarrassment. "Please Melissa, forget what I just said."  
  
Melissa suddenly sprang to life. "What? No way, Mira! Give!"  
  
"Melissa, Mira cannot do that. If anyone reported a breech in protocol, she could be in serious trouble! Let's just put the subject to rest. A terrible tragedy happened, but we have had time to come to terms with things as best we could. Don't open all of the wounds again, I beg you." Tessa definitely did not want any further discussion about the incident, and especially didn't want any specific questions about security protocols.  
  
"C'mon, Tessa! I'm not going to tell on her. I doubt she'll turn herself in. Are you planning to rat her out?"  
  
"Of course not! But...." Tessa didn't have a chance to finish her request.  
  
"Good. Mira! Who can order a level four security block?" Melissa's voice was getting louder, as if she were truly getting wound up.  
  
"Melissa, that is need to know information. And..." Mira sounded regretful but determined.  
  
"MIRA!" Melissa's voice carried across the room, stopping a number of nearby conversations. "I NEED to know. Let's just leave it at that before things get ugly. If you know something and hold out on me...."  
  
Tessa tried to stop her, but Casimira gave in to Melissa. "Onboard, at the time, only Tessa; Cmdr. Mardukas; and Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin. Off ship, any one in the Higher Command."  
  
"Who signed?" Melissa had picked up a knife and was stabbing the remnants of her chicken dish.  
  
"Melissa, I won't tell you that. What will it tell you?"  
  
"WHO FCKING SIGNED!!!" Melissa was standing now, and the matre de was headed in her direction. One of the uncharacteristic waiters moved to intercept him.  
  
"I did." Tessa realised that she would have to give a little if there was to be any chance to save the majority. She did NOT want Casimira's interest piqued or her suspicions triggered. If either of them started digging on their own....  
  
Melissa's knife dropped from her lax hand and ricocheted off of her glass and her plate. Reaching for it, she knocked it onto the floor. The ersatz waiters nodded to one another and headed closer to the table, cutting off any potential avenues of escape.  
  
"WHAT?!" Melissa needed little acting at that moment. She was becoming truly angry.  
  
"Melissa, please calm down." Casimira sounded as if she were concerned. She stroked Melissa's hand, and moved it away from her knife. "You are drawing unwanted attention. Let us give Tessa a chance to explain. I am convinced she has a good explanation. Certainly we can trust her."  
  
With one hand waving stylishly in the air as a distraction, Capt. Concepcion used the other hand to activate a recording device in her designer hand bag. She didn't expect to record any truths, necesarily. But it would be potentially useful to catch Tessa telling untruths.  
  
"We had BETTER be able to trust her" Melissa growled. Watching Tessa closely, she couldn't help but feel a small flash of pride for her one time commander. She has certainly grown! Before, she would have flinched, looked frightened, or gotten overly petulant. Instead, Tessa sat numb and still.  
  
"Melissa, please. I can understand why you are angry. You know me, I would NOT do anything to purposely hurt you. But, as Captain, I have defined responsibilities, and I do answer to a well established chain of command." Tessa's mind continued to do trial runs on a number of different lies and half-truths.  
  
Casimira saw an opportunity to interject. "Tessa. Was the decision to place the block your own, or were you following orders from someone else? Was this an Upper Level imperative?"  
  
Tessa looked intently at Capt. Concepcion for a few uncomfortable moments. What were her intentions? Suspicions began to form in the back of her mind.  
  
Before Tessa could reply, Melissa jumped in. She did not like the look in Tessa's eyes, and feared that she and Casimira might lose the advantage. "Can it, Mira. At the moment, I don't care who fcking started the ball rolling. You and I can find that out later when we convince the rest of the Intel gang to join in the hunt!!!" Tessa jumped slightly at that one. Good.  
  
Melissa stood up and pushed her chair close to Tessa's. "What I want to know NOW is why. Why Tessa? I hope to Hell you weren't playing school girl pranks, trying to get an exclusive shot at Sousuke! We all know that Kaname had her ring in his nose."  
  
Tessa's suspicions would have to wait a while longer. She was being hit hard from two sides, a clever flanking maneuver. Melissa questioned her character? Melissa and Casimira might start serious efforts at discovery, acting against a long time moratorium on further investigation?  
  
Wait! She finally hit on a story that might do the trick!  
  
"Do you REALLY think I would have gone THAT far, Melissa? Do you?!" The tears coming to Tessa's eyes were not forced.  
  
Melissa lowered her eyes. "No. Not really, Tessa. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." She would continue to play the game at this level a little while longer. A quick glance at Casimira gained a raised eyebrow. She too felt it was nearly time to change tact.  
  
"Thank you" Tessa wiped away her tears. "If the two of you promise not to take things any further, I will tell you the basics. However, you will NEVER have heard these words from me. Do we have an agreement? Do I have your word?"  
  
"Yes!" from Melissa. "We will not pursue your information any further" from Casimira.  
  
"Everything was initially done on my prerogative. I later informed the necessary personnel, and they told me to put a hold on further investigations. The accident that claimed Kaname's life was no accident. It was premeditated, aimed particularly at her. But, it was not the work of an enemy to Mithril." Melissa feined shock, then looked intently at Tessa. "No, Melissa. It was not my doing, or the work of anyone within Mithril."  
  
"An ally of Mithril's? Or, at least someone with common goals in mind?" Casimira thought she could see where Tessa's fabrication was headed.  
  
"Yes, Mira. The nuclear threat in Iran had drawn Mithril into the maelstrom, but had also provided a key opportunity for a a group of Western- sanctioned 'patriots' who were ready to wrest control of the country from the hands of Ali Hoseini Khamenei and the religious leaders. They were ruthless men. Ruthless and insistant. They wanted to know everything about Mithril's operations, and they recieved information from people I had thought to be trustworthy." Tessa did not miss a beat or slur a syllable.  
  
"OK, Tessa. But how did Kaname get involved with all this?" Melissa looked eager.  
  
"From what I could piece together, the details of our team were leaked. The Iranian opposition group learned that Sousuke was one of our best pilots, and that he controlled an AS with special properties...properties that might prove invaluable to the success of the mission. Someone most likely gave details of Sousuke's personal life, noting that he might be unwilling to take risks because of his attachment to Kaname. Obviously, to someone, any impediment was unacceptable, as this might be the only chance at a succesful take over." Tessa took a moment to finish off her glass of wine.  
  
Despite the gravity of the situation, Casimira was impressed. Tessa was a very convincing liar. Waving her hand again, she asked Tessa a question, noticing that one of the waiter look-alikes was approaching at her signal. "So, what method did they employ?" It sounded as if she were asking from professional interest.  
  
"Apparently, they recruited an Islamic fanatic, who I would guess supported a change in leadership, as long as the new government was religious, not secular. There were two bodies found in Kaname's car. One was identified as an Iranian national. That information was not allowed to make the news. And, you can now see why the investigation was stopped, and why it should not be reopened."  
  
"Would madame care for another bottle of wine?" A waiter asked. Tessa turned around to look at the speaker, recognizing the voice. It was Kurz! "Hey, Tessa babe. I don't want to seem rude, but are you going to get around to the truth any time soon? I'm renting this tux by the hour!" With that, he took off the dress jacket and reversed it to the black side before putting it back on.  
  
Tessa was speechless, watching Kurz look for a seat. He tried to sit next to Casimira, but she held strongly onto the chair. Next he headed towards Melissa, who picked up a knife and a fork. Sighing, he chose a seat near Tessa.  
  
A whole set of emotions ran across Tessa's face, fear in the lead. Anger nipped fear at the finish line. "I see. This has all been a trick, a trap. Thank you SO VERY MUCH, Captain Mao. I won't be saying anything else, you can be certain of THAT! I strongly suggest, that no one pushes things any further. Things could be MUCH worse than they are now!" She got up, preparing to leave.  
  
"Tessa...Tessa...Tessa" Kurz was chuckling. "You can sit back down voluntarily, or good ole Kurzeroo can lend you a hand." He showed her a palm-sized auto-injector. "We're all friends here, aren't we? There's no need for things to get ugly." He also showed her a syringe, no doubt containing a truth serum. The look in his eyes told Tessa that he considered the past events rather ugly themselves. He was not bluffing.  
  
Realization hit Tessa hard. She could call out for help. But, even if restaurant staff believed she fainted and insisted an ambulance be called, matters would only be delayed. Her fellow Mithril members would find her later, unless she gave up everything and went into hiding. Images of her bofriend crossed her mind. Thoughts of her new position followed. She teared up. She sat back down.  
  
"See, I knew you were our friend, babe. Now, perhaps you'll tell the amazing Kurz Weber the things that my two less capable companions were unable to uncover." Kurz gave Tessa his best smile, cringing when he heard both Melissa and Casimira growling. This was his good cop routine.  
  
"Kurz, PLEASE! This is NOT a game. Kaname's death was a terrible tragedy, but I have good reasons for doing what I did. I have ALREADY told them the truth, at terrible risk to us all!!!." There was a strong pleading tone to Tessa's voice.  
  
"Don't worry, sweet stuff, I am NOT playing. Rolling your pretty eyes and asking us to trust you just won't cut it! Melissa and Cassie tried smooth. Their womanly tenderness did not work. Right now, babe, I couldn't give a rat's ass for your feelings, not after what you've done to Sis and me. After what you did to Sousuke!" And this was his bad cop routine.  
  
Casimira kicked Kurz under the table, hard. He was coming on too strong. It wasn't time to let her know that they knew the full extent of her lies. They were saving that for later, if necessary. "Not allowing him to attend the funeral was unforgivable!" Kurz didn't miss a beat.  
  
"Tessa, you've already lost my fcking trust. And you ought to know I'm telling the goddamn truth when I say I will track this as far as it can be tracked. If you level with us completely, perhaps the buck can stop HERE!" She was twirling her knife in her hand as she spoke.  
  
Tessa's mind kept trying to grab hold of an important thought. Yes. Why were they acting so intensely? Was it merely a ploy to affect her resolve, or did they know more than she first assumed? She would have to proceed as if her most crucial secret was safe, believing that they were simply after the names of the people forcing her hand.  
  
"There is nothing more of importance I can tell you. Knowing the identity of the people who ordered the cover-up will not help anything. They were simply doing what they thought best, and exposing them will only put your careers in jeopardy!" That should do it, Tessa told herself. At the very least, Casimira should be able to perform a rapid risk-benefit analysis and second her opinion.  
  
Kurz whistled, startling a table full of elderly men behind him. He bowed to them with a flourish, then turned back in time to see Sousuke walk up in his waiter's garb.  
  
"I take it that Captain Testarossa was no more susceptible to the Weber charm than any other woman?" Sousuke said from behind Tessa. He placed his hands gently on either side of Tessa's neck, squeezing ever so slightly. Melissa and Casimia nodded. Removing his hands, he said "Perhaps I shall prove more successful." He sat in the chair that Kurz had just vacated.  
  
S-Sousuke...." He was the last person Tessa wanted to see at that moment. She had hoped that the others were acting without his knowledge or participation.  
  
"I-I've already told them as much as they need to know. It's a tremendous risk, already. Of all people, I would expect that you would realize the cost of going too far with something!" Sousuke cringed slightly at the word 'cost.'  
  
Sousuke looked over at Melissa. "Melissa, if you would give me a synopsis of what Captain Testarossa has told you, please." His look was stern, determined.  
  
Melissa gave him an efficient and accurate retelling. Sousuke looked over at Casimira, who said "I have nothing to add." Turning back to Tessa, Sousuke heard Kurz exclaim "Hey, Sousuke old buddy, aren't you going to ask if I have anything to add?"  
  
"No!" That came simultaneously from Sousuke, Melissa, Casimira, and a number of the gentlemen at a nearby table who had no choice but to hear what Kurz had said. At the very least, the latter participants served as a reminder to keep things more discrete. Who could say who might be listening in.  
  
"Captain, it sounds like a very plausable story. I can see a few weak points, but it was well thought out. However, I do not believe a word of it. And, it is very much to your benefit that I believe what you have to tell me." Sousuke's look could have curdled milk.  
  
"I am not talking about my feelings for you, because they may have been fractured beyond repair. I am not threatening to bring you actions before a review board, because that will not regain me a single moment of closure that was stolen from me. And, as you should realize, I have no intention of physically harming you---that is not my way."  
  
"Sousuke...." Whatever Tessa had tried to say was waved away with a firece chopping motion of Sousuke's arm. Even Melissa and Casimira felt a little subdued in his presence at that very moment.  
  
"As you may have heard from Melissa, I have changed somewhat over the years since I left the TDD-1 and your command. I would like to think that I am no longer as headstrong or reckless. I am less prone to making things worse before I make them better." Melissa nodded her head in confirmation. "However, I am not any less determined."  
  
"I see. But...." Again, the chopping motion.  
  
"Captain, you will tell me what I want to know, or I WILL chase down every possibility. In doing so, I will not stop out of fear for my safety, because I do not feel safe as it is. I will not stop to prevent collateral damage, because I WAS the collateral damage from the previous subterfuge."  
  
Sousuke's attention was drawn to Kurz, who was giving Sousuke a large smile and a big thumbs up. Sousuke ignored him, scowling.  
  
Tessa was certainly in a bind. If Sousuke had found out that Kaname did not actually die, he would know she was prevaricating. However, he could also be putting up a front in order to see if he could pressure her to change her story. Or, not knowing the truth, he might somehow sense she was spinning a web of deceit. If it was the former, nothing more could be lost by misdirection. If it were one of the latter two, she would have to convince him.  
  
"Sousuke, whatever else you might think, you have to believe that I acted in your best interest. I did nothing that was solely for my benefit to the detriment of others!" That definitely had the ring of truth about it.  
  
"I hope that is true, Captain. I do not want to hate you; however, that is not the major issue here." Sousuke turned to Kurz and pantomimed an injection. Tessa took notice. Kurz handed Sousuke something under the table. He wouldn't use it here, but he wanted Tessa to think otherwise.  
  
Sousuke reached over and placed his hand on Tessa's arm. "Kurz, find me some hard liquor. I don't have any alcohol swabs with me."  
  
Kurz left the table. Turning back to Tessa, Sousuke said in a reasonable manner "One last chance of your own accord. When Kurz returns, I will place my trust in the latest pharmaceuticals. Perhaps the people you are protecting will take that into consideration when they realize from whom the information came."  
  
"Sousuke, I do not know why you refuse to believe the truth. But I will make this promise to you. I will take your truth serum. If it proves me a liar, I will do whatever you ask. BUT, when my story holds true, you will stop at the information I have already given you." This might actually work to her advantage! She had previously learned that she could use the Whispered state to avoid the actions of drugs.  
  
Kurz handed Sousuke one of two glasses of finely aged Scotch. He downed the other quickly, coughing slightly when he was done.  
  
"Do you, Captain Teletha Testarossa---in front of these witnesses---swear upon your honor and reputation that you will tell us the full truth if I can prove you wrong following this injection? Do you swear it in the name of the man you love and the life you hope to live?" Sousuke dipped his napkin in Scotch and wiped it across Tessa's arm, now held under the table.  
  
"Yes Sousuke, I so swear." Tessa was beginning to feel hopeful. She had faced up to a rather forceful and talented group of individuals, and it looked as if she was going to be able to prevail.  
  
Sousuke injected the contents of his syringe into Tessa. He had previously expelled the original contents and refilled it with water from a glass he had placed his chair.  
  
"We will give that sufficient time to act. I will return shortly."  
  
"Sousuke, where are you going?" Tessa hoped he wasn't resorting to trickery. Hopefully he had not injected her with a knock-out agent!  
  
"Captain Testarossa, is that something you ask a man! Really, you have no sense of decency." Sousuke was certain that Tessa would pick up that reference.  
  
"Oh! I see." It seems she did.  
  
A little while later, Tessa noticed that her remaining three tablemates sat up straighter, large smiles on their faces. All of their eyes were looking in the same direction. She turned in her chair to see what had caused their reaction.  
  
Sousuke was returning, walking with a slow elegant gate, a woman on his arm. Radiant in face and well proportioned in body, long dark hair swinging with each step, Kaname made her entrance into the arena, her magnificent designer gown catching the attention of male and female patrons alike.  
  
Tessa was affected somewhat differently. At that moment, her feelings reminded her of a number of major life events. Her kidnapping by A21. Her brutal treatment at the hands of Gauron. Her captivity at the hand of the vanquished shadow group. It looks like she had been caught again.  
  
"Oh...my...God. Sousuke, you lucky dog, you." Kurz and Melissa had seen Kaname the night before during a tear and laughter filled reunion. They had not, however, seen her dressed like this until now. Kurz was staring unabashedly.  
  
Casimira poured a glass of ice water onto Kurz' lap. Melissa applauded.  
  
"Good evening, every one. Melissa, this is a fabulous place! Is Kurz paying?" Kaname was beaming. Perhaps because she was with Sousuke. Perhaps because she was with old friends. Perhaps because Tessa would get her come- uppance. Likely all of the above.  
  
Kaname had purposefully avoided looking at Tessa up to that point.  
  
"Mmmm, Ka--na--may! I would gladly pay YOU! Sousuke, be a good friend and...." Kurz jumped when Casimira poured Melissa's glass of water down inside his pants.  
  
"Casimira, it is good to see you again." This was the first time Casimira and Kaname had seen each other in over four years.  
  
Kaname was smiling, but the smile was a touch crooked. Capt. Concepcion thought that she knew why. "Kaname, you look wonderful. I am so sorry that I was unable to attend your funeral. You make certain that you take good care of your young man there." She smiled and gave Kaname a wink. She continued smiling and gave Sousuke a leer.  
  
Sousuke blushed, making Melissa laugh. Kaname noticed as well. "Sousuke, it seems we have something to talk about. LATER." She wasn't angry or scowling, however. She gave him an obvious pat on the rump.  
  
"Yes, Sousuke. Menage a tois!!!" Kurz was pumping his fist in the air. It drew the attention of a very observant waiter. Casimira asked for a pitcher of ice water. Kurz quieted down.  
  
Kaname and Sousuke both glared at Kurz, saluted Casimira, then smiled at each other. Sousuke whispered something into her ear. She nodded.  
  
"Tessa, what a pleasant surprise to find you here tonight." Kaname said, as she and Sousuke took seats next to one another. "I had heard false rumors that you had been in an accident." Zing. Kaname had changed in many ways. Some things remained the same, however. "You've put on some pounds! But they're all in the right places. Wouldn't you agree, dear?" She squeezed Sousuke's arm.  
  
"Uh...I hadn't noticed."  
  
"Oh! Some things never change, I guess" Kaname laughed, but it was a restrained musical laugh. She picked up her napkin and wiped her tearless eyes. "I'm feeling so nostalgic now."  
  
Tessa took things with good grace. She was too numb to do otherwise. Anger began to seep in, slowly building. The actions that she had taken years ago had been mostly for Kaname's sake.  
  
"But I understand congratulations are in order! You finally get to step down from that overly large Captain's chair. And, you've found yourself a man. It must be SO wonderful. I hope the two of you are able to enjoy a long and happy life together, with as few hardships as possible." To a casual observer, Kaname would have sounded sincere.  
  
"But I should give you some good advice about relationships! Might I suggest that the two of you stay away from gas stations whenever the fuel truck is there?" Kaname had a lot of pent up anger. Who would have guessed that?  
  
"You GO girl! Oh yeh!" Kurz was enjoying himself. Casimira wondered where that waiter was.  
  
Melissa hadn't minded seeing Kaname get in a few digs at Tessa. They both certainly deserved the opportunity. But, Tessa was still her friend, and there were issue that needed to be discussed further.  
  
"Tessa, I believe that you promised to tell Sousuke the truth if he could prove you were lying?" The look she gave Tessa was neutral. Turning her head, she gave Kurz a look that would warp steel. She smiled at Kaname's salute.  
  
All eyes turned to Tessa.  
  
Her heart racing, and feeling somewhat dizzy, Tessa tried to organize her thoughts. She would tell them what she knew, and the onus would fall on THEIR heads. The axe might very well fall on ALL of their necks.  
  
"Why, Tessa. Let's start with 'why.' " Above all else, this was still a very personal matter to Kaname.  
  
"I did it because of you, Kaname." Tessa fought mixed emotions, past and present.  
  
"I TOLD you, Sis!" Kurz was not laughing. The look he gave Tessa seemed out of place on an ex-model.  
  
"Shut up, Kurz. Let her continue. If it leads where you think it will, she's fair game. If it doesn't, you owe her an apology." Melissa hoped that Kurz was wrong.  
  
Kaname looked on expectantly, squeezing Sousuke's hand to the point that he was forced to unwrap her fingers.  
  
"They threatened to kill Kaname...." Tessa's heart constricted. Would they resume trying, now? If anyone pursued matters further...or the wrong people learned that Sousuke and Kaname were seeing one another again....  
  
The silence was deafening, so to speak. Tessa looked directly at Kurz, who bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Tessa."  
  
Tessa found it hard to continue unprompted. She stared into her wine, watching the ruby liquid swirl as she rotated the stem of the glass.  
  
"Why did they want Kaname dead, Tessa. And who." Sousuke's voice was respectful on the surface, but Tessa could easily detect the cold steel underneath.  
  
Tessa bowed her head. She couldn't help herself. She was frightened. The others could clearly see that she was shivering. Melissa stood to go comfort her, but Sousuke raised his hand and directed her to sit back down.  
  
"I think I understand the reasons why this is hard for you, Tessa." The 'Tessa'---instead of 'Captain' or 'Captain Testarossa'---made her lift her head back up. "Let's start with who. I will make it easier for you. I will mention three men. You will let me know if it is one of them, or one of their subordinates. Agreed?"  
  
"Yes, Sousuke."  
  
"General Bonanno...."  
  
"No."  
  
"Lord Elgin...."  
  
"No."  
  
"Mister Borodenko...."  
  
Tessa's eyes widened. Her tongue felt as if it were glued to the roof of her mouth. She nodded her head in the affirmative.  
  
"Him personally, one of his lieutenants, or a lower subordinate?" Sousuke was glad to have an answer. It was not the answer he had wanted. Now it was time to see if things were very bad, extremely bad, or unbelievably bad.  
  
The first step already taken, Tessa found it easier to speak now. Easier, but no less harrowing. "Liang Yong." The name meant nothing to Sousuke. It drew a quick response from Capt. Concepcion.  
  
"Oh shit!" Casimira was not one for expletives. However, the occasion called for it. Most definitely.  
  
Kurz almost succumbed to the impulse to pounce on Casimira's verbal descent into the gutter. The look on her face stopped him cold, a notable feat.  
  
"Mira?" Sousuke sounded more interested than concerned.  
  
"Sousuke, are you aware of the rumored connections of Mr. Borodenko to the Russian mafia?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, whether or not the rumors are true, it certainly has bought him a reputation that certainly serves his purpose. The concern within Mithril goes deeper than that, however. Liang Yong is Deputy Finance Minister for Mithril. Vassil Tahirjanov is the Chief Financial Coordinator. Their jobs overlap to some degree, and there is a continual jockeying of position between the two of them to see who can get Mr. Borodenko's favor. Neither would want to lose their position to the potential replacements nipping at their heals. I suspect each man pockets a sizeable amount of money with each new contract or paying assignment brought into Mithril."  
  
"I take it they both have unsavory reputations." Kaname had a personal stake in this discussion.  
  
"You could say that. If you did, it would be an understatement. Both men filled their positions with little resistance. They had impeccable credentials, as they were major talents at their above the board activities. Liang Yong was one of China's rising financial consultants. Vassil Tahirjanov was one of Europe's best economic theorists. Their seedier sides were well hidden, unlike many of their shady contemporaries. I suspect many people were taken in by the phenomenal possibilities, seeing what they wanted to see." Mira spoke with the same tone and body language she used at mission briefings.  
  
"What was it that they failed to see, or conveniently overlooked?" Kurz didn't like the direction things were taking.  
  
"Liang Yong is rumored to be Lai Dechuan, a young Chinese crime boss who once had ties to the Serpents, Wild Dogs, and Angry Tigers before he disappeared after a particularly brutal attempt on his life. Vassil Tahirjanov is rumored to have strong ties to the Surcin crime clan in Belgrade. There has been no factual evidence to suggest that they have gone so far as to have anyone within Mithril injured, but the concern clearly remains. It may well be that no one they have threatened has dared to cross them." At that moment, Casimira was easy to read. She was clearly very much concerned.  
  
"Why would either of them want me dead?" Kaname was more puzzled than frightened.  
  
"Me. Most likely." Sousuke sounded contrite.  
  
"Sousuke?" Kaname put her hand on Sousuke's.  
  
"I suppose I shouldn't limit my suspicions to only one possibility, as there may well be angles that I am unable to see. Nevertheless, you of all people, Kaname, should know my past history with the Financial Division." Sousuke was not stating anything that was new to any person at that table.  
  
"Yes, Sousuke. The financial officers of Mithril AND of Jindai Highschool couldn't have been very fond of you!" Kaname's voice was beginning to become exothermic.  
  
"No, Kaname, just Mithril. All of the damages paid by the school were reimbursed by Mithril, often with a substantial bribe to allow the operation to continue. The Jindai financeers probably learned to look forward to my mistakes."  
  
Kurz whistled. He had not know THAT part of things. "Oh yeh! I thought it strange that a public school might have a budget larger than the GNP of some third world nations. They could have knocked that school down, built a new one, and still come out ahead!"  
  
Tessa risked a moment of levity. "It's true. Those of us at command level often joked that Sousuke was a member of a competing organization, secreted into our ranks to affect destruction from within. Those lies about Gauron being Sousuke's father were written off quite easily, thanks to the marvels of DNA testing. However, that still remained a treasured inside joke." She went as far as to smile. Others smiled as well.  
  
"Sousuke!!!" Kaname started to tremble ever so slightly, as if she were undergoing the H.T.s---halisen tremens, the physical signs of halisen withdrawal.  
  
"Yes, Kaname dear?" Sousuke was once clueless to the extreme. He was now a much quicker learner. The use of 'Kaname' 'dear' currently had the capacity to diffuse lower level seismic activity.  
  
"Do please try to bring the conversation back on topic." That was not what Kaname had originally intended to say.  
  
"Certainly. As I was saying, my reputation within the Financial Division and Public Relations Division became progressively worse, to the point that Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin threatened to keep me confined to the ship when I was not directly involved in a combat mission. There was a very real possibility that I could have been permanently recalled from Tokyo years earlier."  
  
"Tessa, did you talk to Liang Yong directly? What exactly were you told?" Melissa asked.  
  
"Yes. It was not an experience I would recommend to anyone. I had been called into a Finance meeting at Headquarters, and was asked to stay behind with him and a couple of his aides. He had the best etiquette and diction of anyone I have ever met. Nevertheless, I felt like I was waving my arm in front of a shark, a bloody wound on that arm." Tessa shivered, and closed her eyes momentarily, as if wishing her memories to dissipate.  
  
"Did he use threats or innuendos?" That question came from Casimira.  
  
"Threats. He was very direct. His tone of voice, and his attitude...it was almost as if we were discussing the weather."  
  
"What did he say?" Kaname's gaze fastened on Tessa.  
  
"He said that personnel within the Finance Department had written unwelcome complaints directly to him, and that the contents of those communique's had the strong potential to cause him to lose face. Sousuke's name figured prominently, and the Depuy Finance Minister wanted to know what value Sergeant Sagara had to Mithril."  
  
"You told him?" Kaname's question was rhetorical  
  
"Yes. Appraised of Sousuke's combat record, his unique connection with Arbalest, and the substantial amount of money that had been effectively invested in his training and ongoing missions---not to mention the substantial amounts of money that Sousuke saved or earned Mithril through his uncanny mission success rate--Liang Yong came to the conclusion that Sousuke paired with the ARX-7 was a powerful drawing point for Mithril regarding potential customers. He went as far as to call Sousuke a valuable commodity that had been improperly used." Tessa's hands clenched the table cloth.  
  
"I take it he was of the opinion that you were the one responsible for that misuse?" Melissa was right on target.  
  
"Yes. He said that he would be certain to have his people perform a risk benefit analysis on ME! As a result, I was...I...I could not keep a level head throughout the entire discussion. When he told me it would be to everyone's benefit for Sousuke to be moved to a location where he would no longer cause the Financial Division to write inflammatory reports, I mistakenly told him that Sousuke might possibly quit Mithril as a result." Tessa looked somewhat embarassed, as if her slip of the tongue was responsible for everything.  
  
"And when he asked why Sousuke might quit, you no doubt pointed to ME!" Kaname's eyes did a good imitation of hot coals.  
  
"Yes, but not out of spite. I was being factual. Any attempt at misdirection or a cover-up could have proven disastrous. I had no idea that he would say what he did then." Tessa was nearly in tears.  
  
"Tessa, what did he say about Kaname?" Sousuke's look was direct, but not accusatory or judgemental. Tessa felt a small bubble of gratitude rising within her, joining the bubbles of fear, shame, and regret.  
  
"Sousuke, he started by saying that you were too valuable a tool to discard. If your success in battle might bring in lucrative contracts, you should be used exclusively in combat. Any impediment to that use would be removed by whatever manner necessary." Tessa paused to take a drink from her water glass.  
  
She addressed the entire table when she continued. "If Kaname was the magnet to Sousuke's steel, he would be moved away from her. If there was any chance whatsoever that her pull might be strong enough to draw him away from Mithril...." Tessa ran down, her throat feeling too tight to talk.  
  
"You need not carry that thought any further. I am certain we can all see where that is leading. And, unless I am mistaken, you had reason enough to believe that he might carry out his threat." Sousuke was not surprised when Tessa nodded her head.  
  
"Another question remains. Why the accident story, Tessa? Why didn't you just tell Kaname and myself, allowing us to make the decisions that we chose to make, taking whatever risks we chose to take?"  
  
"I was afraid, Sousuke. I was afraid of a good many things. I was afraid that you would refuse to abandon Kaname to what you viewed as a significant threat from outside forces interested in the Whispered. I feared you would not walk away from the internal dangers presented by the Deputy Minister's hirelings."  
  
Tessa looked at Kaname. "I was scared that Kaname's pride and temper would prevent her from backing down from such a blatant disregard of her life and happiness."  
  
She looked at Kurz and Melissa. "I was concerned that Melissa and Kurz would be drawn into things. I considered myself responsible for you all, and I could not take those risks. I...I..." Tessa bowed her head again, placing her face in her hands.  
  
"You were afraid for yourself?" Melissa asked.  
  
"Yes. I had asked for the responsibility of arranging a suitable outcome. There was no way I would voluntarily leave the choice of action in his hands or the hands of his toadies! There was a risk involved. If I failed, my career would fall on hard times, at best."  
  
"Yes." Kaname clenched her teeth, hearing what she wanted to hear.  
  
"Furthermore, if I did not arrive at a solution quickly enough, then the problem would be taken from my hands and given to someone whose top priority would be timeliness. There was no doubt what the simplest, fastest, and most irreversible solution would have been. Everyone would have been allowed to attend THAT funeral!" Tessa looked at Kaname, hoping she would find some small bit of forgiveness. She did not.  
  
"So, my report of the accident to the Mithril operatives provided you with a gift-wrapped idea for a solution?" Kaname had accepted that possibility after her earlier discussion with Sousuke.  
  
"Yes. It seemed too good to pass up. It provided me something real and substantial to wrap my hands around. I had been tearing myself apart. There was the gnawing fear that time was running out. My anger and righteous indignation almost led me to drag Mardukas and Kalinin into things, with a subsequent request for an official investigation, one which would have been based only on my word versus the word of the Deputy Minister."  
  
Casimira whistled quietly when she heard that.  
  
"At one point, I almost conveniently convinced myself that the threats were all smoke and mirrors, and I was strongly tempted by the simple solution of doing absolutely nothing."  
  
The memories were clearly painful to Tessa. She did not consciously seek sympathy, but the plea was clearly written on her face.  
  
"I am haunted by my decision to this very day. Not only because of the pain it caused, but because of the uncertainty. What might have happened if I HAD procrastinated, or simply decided not to do anything at all? Would his threats had been proven to be bluffs? Could there have been an assassination I would feel responsible for, and then be afraid to expose and unable to prove? Might I too have been viewed as a risk worth removing?"  
  
Melissa nodded her head. She could only imagine what she might have felt if she had found herself in a similar situation.  
  
"What would have happened to everyone if I had taken matters to the High Council? I couldn't judge just how far the ethical rot had spread...one root, or the whole tree? Might such a claim make it less likely that anything suspicious might happen to Kaname? Or, might it force their hand, even if the threat was initially a bluff?"  
  
Kaname resented the fact that her choice had been usurped. However, the striking truth remained. She was alive. Sousuke and she were together again, stronger than before. What would have happened if she had been allowed to dictate the course of action?  
  
"The only thing I could be certain of was that Kaname's and Sousuke's greatest probability for safety rested on their separation from one another, with no reason to seek each other out again."  
  
Sousuke looked in turn at Melissa, Casimira, and Kurz, nodding his head and pointing to his watch. The message was simple. They had all been given a lot to think on. They were all stressed and tired. There was little to be gained from any further interrogation. There were other people who needed to be informed of their findings before any further decisions could be made and sanctioned.  
  
The primary purpose of the dinner had been to discover the particulars behind the false stories that had impacted their lives. Sousuke was wise enough to realize that a secondary opportunity existed as well, whether or not the people at the table were cognizant of that fact.  
  
Tessa's eventual admission of guilt---and her thorough discussion of her reasons and motivations---would play a large role in how she would now be viewed by her once and future friends. The response to her confession would affect how she viewed herself.  
  
Sousuke spoke quietly into Kaname's ear, asking if she would be hurt by something he had decided to do. She was clearly torn, but she consented. She kissed him, pleased that he had thought to ask her before he acted.  
  
Banging his fork against his wineglass, Sousuke stood up and made certain he had everyone's attention. He then walked over to Tessa's chair in a casual manner and kissed her on the forehead, catching her by surprise.  
  
"I cannot say whether your decisions saved lives or created unecessary hardships. But I thank you for your good intentions. You've carried that burden by yourself for too long." This had not been as easy as it might have seemed. He was still of two minds himself, not ready to let go of his anger and disillusionment. However, this simply felt like something that needed to be done.  
  
Tessa could not speak. She placed her face into her napkin and let the tears flow.  
  
Melissa looked at Sousuke with a mixture of pride, love and gratitude. She got up and headed to Tessa, stopping first to say something quietly to Kaname. "You have a fine young man there. But, I shouldn't have to tell you that!"  
  
Kaname nodded, smiling, hearing echoes from the past. "Yes. I remember what you told me once. I don't plan on giving him up. No matter what."  
  
Melissa went and spoke briefly to Tessa. Casimira and Kurz soon followed suit.  
  
Tessa and Kaname looked at one another, but neither had anything further to say verbally. Kaname's eyes opened widely when she received a Whispered communication from the smaller woman. "Thank you for letting Sousuke do that. If even one of you can find it in your heart to forgive me, perhaps I can forgive myself. I'm sorry. I did what I thought was right."  
  
Kaname's emotions were confused and mixed. Tessa read that. It was a start.  
  
Emotionally drained, but strangely at peace, Tessa said goodnight to everyone and made her way towards the reservation desk, intent on calling a taxi. Sousuke and Kaname excused themselves as well.  
  
Casimira and Melissa told Kurz that they were off to the ladies room to powder their noses, giving him the honor of selecting the next bottle of wine while they were freshening up. They neglected to tell him that they were referring the ladies room at Melissa's hotel. They also forgot to inform him that he was responsible for picking up the check. 


	4. O What a Tangled Web pt 3

"Driven by globalization and the erosion of state authority, the international crime scene is changing rapidly, and significant diversification and penetration will occur with each passing year. Without being able to accurately predict global and economic conditions too far into the future, it is difficult to judge the extent and magnitude of the adverse changes.  
  
"Large criminal syndicates---Russian organized crime groups...the Sicilian mafia...ethnic Chinese groups like the triads---will remain powerful players. But, with every passing day, more and more highly skilled criminal entrepreneurs spring up like mushrooms, their actions often having significant and far reaching effects.  
  
"Individuals or small criminal groups with high-tech computer skills and telecommunication capabilities are becoming thorns in the sides of law enforcement agencies and national governments. They can turn huge profits without establishing the massive infrastructure of the large syndicates. The large groups are not growing stagnant. While there is a significant amount of cooperation amongst those groups now, it will likely decrease as each syndicate becomes better equipped to produce, market, and distribute illegal drugs and other contraband. Conversely, there may be more and more cooperation amongst the smaller groups, especially if they work to specialize in necessary capacities. To make matters worse, we are convinced that a number of rival mercenary groups have begun to cooperate with the smaller groups. We are forced to include Amalgam as one such group. That is a fearful possibility to contemplate.  
  
"One thing we need to find out is whether or not Mithril is doing the same thing, or is simply being used as a stepping stone for a number of the criminal entrepreneurs. If it is the former, we are faced with a nearly unsolvable problem. We would need to approach the financial sponsors, hoping they are not in cahoots with the big players. We might even be forced to go public, leading to the destruction of the organization and incorporation of our material and human resources into sovereign armies or small independent groups.  
  
"If, instead, we are dealing with a small number of evil men, the solutions would be simpler, but not necessarily easy. We are dealing with too much of an unknown. The threat of organized crime groups aquiring and trafficking in nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons becomes more real every day. There is no way to know whether such capabilities exist in the groups involved, and whether or not such weapons might be used against our forces in retribution. We cannot let fear of such reprisals cause us to stay our hand.  
  
"Additionally, we should also consider the possibility that we are not dealing with men with their own lust for power and money, but rather "criminal states" who have placed their men in positions of power for the purpose of advancing large scale agendas.  
  
"Gentlemen, we are hamstrung without in depth intelligence. By making any overt move, we may all become targets of vindictive men and their organizations. Covert actions would take longer, but would not guarantee success, and may make it simpler for our adversaries to circumvent our more effective resources.  
  
"I am willing to take part in any plan you may care to devise. If required, I will do my searching behind the scenes and under the radar. Alternatively, I will make above-the-board attempts through official channels if that is the chosen approach. Consider me entirely at your disposal."  
  
Capt. Concepcion had given a general briefing on organized crime, and had touched upon the Russian Mafia and the more visible Chinese syndicates. Brief mention had been made about European cartels. After that, she had distributed folders of ultra-classified information regarding Vyacheslav Borodenko; Liang Yong; Vassil Tahirjunov; their closest cronies within and outside of Mithril; and their bodyguards.  
  
Following the Intel officers briefing, Sousuke described everything that Captain Testarossa had said at the dinner. He had also gone on to talk with her privately, gathering more details. Kaname had not been entirely pleased. It wasn't jealousy. She was still fighting an irrational fear that he might disappear again any time he left her sight.  
  
"There is certainly a lot for Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Eleiden and myself to digest. We will discuss matters amongst ourselves first, looking at the broader picture and deciding which other commanding officers within Mithril might be safely approached." Cmdr. Horowitz stood up, stretching his back.  
  
"In addition, to be honest, we need to search our own souls. Any action that takes place may well be looked upon as having been authorized or orchestrated by those of us in command. Even if we do not step off of this submarine, we will be putting our heads within the noose along with each and every one of you. We will each consider possible courses of action tonight. I ask that you all do the same. Miss Chidori should stay aboard, for her own safety, and as a means to maintain full secrecy. You are all dismissed."  
  
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'There should be more splendor around me. Concubines, the prettiest and most nubile available. Servants, their hands full of scrolls begging my official notice, trays of drink and great delicacies balanced on their perfumed heads. Guards, their armor polished and their scimitars gleaming in the firelight. Wealth, covering the palace walls, piled in great heaps upon the floor.'  
  
Liang Yong pondered his current status and the sweeping changes that would soon take place. Perhaps he was born into the wrong century, but he would have his wealth and power soon enough. Yes, it was the filthiest of possible alliances, but the time honored saying held true: Better to be at the right hand of the Devil than to be in his path.  
  
There was a soft tapping at his door. "Most Honored Deputy. I humbly ask for entrance." Shinto. His valet and personal secretary. It must be the expected visitors.  
  
'I wish I had an opium pipe. That, and a plate of peeled kumquats. A dancing girl on my lap and a sleeping snow leopard at my feet,' he thought. Speaking aloud, he said "Granted, but not necessary if my guests are here. Please show them in." He turned on a number of expensive table lamps and removed a box of fine cigars from his drawer. A crystal decanter filled with sherry and matching glasses took a place of significance next to bins of caviar and a tray of smoked salmon.  
  
The door opened. Four middle-aged men in business suits, carrying briefcases and large sealed envelopes, walked into the room and took their seats. To the office staff and any security personnel watching, they were financial advisors and business managers linked to Mithril's overseas investments and capital ventures. In reality, one was a high level Amalgam operative and the others were various syndicate officers with strong ties to the secret organization.  
  
Pleasantries were exchanged. The men served themselves whatever food or drink caught their fancy. A full spectrum check on a desktop device failed to locate any active bugging devices. Briefcases were opened, envelopes unsealed, and papers passed about. From a large leather carrying bag, one man extracted a tripod and a folding digital screen. Another man quickly hooked up a lap top computer. They were fully prepared.  
  
"Would you gentlemen mind if I began?" Liang Yong was nothing if not polite. All of the assembled guests nodded their heads, giving the Deputy Finance Minister of Mithril the floor and their undivided attention. "To start with, I must pass along a bit of unfortunate news. The Financial Coordinator, Mr. Tahirjanov, met with an untimely accident early this morning. By all accounts, the aircraft he was riding in flew too low during a heavy fog, crashing into a mountainside in the Andes." He did not need to mention that control of the aircraft had been usurped by an agent on the ground. Amalgam had supplied the necessary blueprints, and one of the cartels had funded the project.  
  
The assembled men raised their glasses high in mock reverence. One obstacle out of the way. This meeting was called to effect the removal of a much larger impediment, not to discuss the progress of European and Asian investments as the remainder of the Finance Division believed.  
  
"The majority of the ground troops stationed on this island have been mobilized. Your assistance in starting fires around the world was most helpful. The firemen will not be getting in our hair. The hounds have been sent to rescue someone else's chickens, leaving their own coop poorly protected. My contacts within the operations group assure me that all three of the Danaan class submarines will be out of range of the base at the appointed time. The only Mithril underwater detection grid has been taken down for scheduled maintenance. There should be very little resistance." Liang Yong felt as if he were the master of Destiny, not its servant.  
  
The visitors all wanted to see proof of the Deputy Minister's claims. He gladly shared with them his personal logbook and tapes of secret conversations.  
  
"Mr. Borodenko will be here on our day of opportunity. In the morning, he will be having a large celebration with members of his family and other international friends and relations. After the libations, he has a full docket, meeting with a number of foreign attaches and a United States senate committee member. None of those men are ours, so their loss will not be unfortunate in any manner. While I do hope that the senator from the hallowed state of New York is gone before the assault, I have no qualms about his death if the timing requires it. Mithril will fall deeper into turmoil---the remnants of the organization, and its supporters, will be suitably impressed when I manage to bring new life and strength to its broken body. Who knows, you might even be able to sit another sympathetic ear on Capitol Hill."  
  
The Amalgam operative wanted precise details on the bodyguards protecting the Finance Minister, having a responsibility to block off all possible avenues of escape. That was more crucial to his plans than the attacks on the other Divisions stationed on this island. The Military Command was situated elsewhere, much less vulnerable to military action.  
  
"His four most trusted bodyguards are on my payroll. They all have family members in rather deadly or difficult situations, all by means of my efforts. Needless to say, his faith in them is unfounded. At the most opportune moment, they will assist Mr. Borodenko in his departure from this world, using weapons of the same caliber as those carried by our unsuspected invaders. My own escape will come by means of a miraculous act of Providence. Clairvoyance is a remarkable trait."  
  
The assembled group of conspirators talked late into the night, discussing the particulars of the upcoming operation and breaking down the plans they had in motion that would require the temporary inconvenience of Mithril. Liang Yong would ascend to a new level of power and wealth. The finances of Mithril---and all of the research and resupply activities that depended on it---would be in utter turmoil. Mr. Yong would be a friendly ear in an opposing organization---a puppet master serving their interests whenever possible---or so he was led to believe.  
  
If circumstances proceeded favorably after that, Mithril's armed forces would become increasingly vulnerable to a concerted and coordinated attack. That latter part was not discussed with the Deputy Minister, naturally. It was contrary to his own plans. His visitors were not concerned with that. There is sometimes honor among thieves. This was not one of those times.  
  
"A toast, gentlemen. To our success." That was something they could all agree on.  
  
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"Sousuke, you told me you had grown out of your recklessness over the past four years!" Kaname was standing over Sousuke, who had tumbled to the floor while avoiding a a backhand swipe of the halisen. "This plan is just too risky. I will NOT agree to it." Kaname's face was flushed with anger, but her eyes were filled with fear. Despite her big talk, she knew she had no cards to play. Even if she threatened to never see him again, she realized that he would continue down the same path, as long as he thought it was the right thing to do for her and everyone else.  
  
"Kaname, we have been over this before. Your permission is irrelevant." Sousuke stood up and placed one hand on the paper fan. "The only ones who need to agree with me are Cmdr. Horowitz and Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Eleiden. From you, I require nothing. Your understanding and support would be greatly valued, however." He saw the momentary softening in Kaname's eyes, before her fear and anger took control again.  
  
"SOUSUKE!!!" Kaname pulled on the halisen, trying to wrench it from Sousuke's grasp. Failing that, she kicked him hard in the shins.  
  
"Heh heh heh. With all of your progress, Sousuke ole chum, you still have your moments of sheer boneheadedness. It's definitely worth the price of admission." Kurz tried to sneak a hand around Sousuke undetected, his target a chilled six pack of Oktoberfest ale Melissa had brought with her. "Kaname, dearest, do you consider relevant and require nothing to be good pillow talk? That is, if you and Sousuke talk when you OOOFFF."  
  
"Kurz, you should know better by now yourself!!!" Melissa's heal came down hard on Kurz' hand, moments before her leg swung around in a tight arc, sending her squad mate sailing hard against a small end table. "Are the moaning heap over there and myself irrelevant too, Sousuke?" Melissa looked Sousuke straight in the eyes.  
  
"It is a matter of degree, Melissa. I would greatly appreciate your insight and thoughts on tactical planning. Your assistance in some fashion would no doubt prove invaluable. The same goes for Kurz, and for you too Casimira." Capt. Concepcion lounged on a small divan, safely out of the range of the continual physical shenanigans. "But, as I told Kaname, I have decided on my basic approach, and am now looking only to iron out the particulars."  
  
Kaname looked over at Capt. Concepcion. After getting to know her over the past couple of days, she began thinking of her as a friend. The beautiful woman's prior relationship with Sousuke still rankled her somewhat, but that was in the past. If Kaname kept a firm enough grasp on Sousuke's heart, she need fear no one else's efforts. "Mira, you said it could be suicidal to mess with the Russian mafia, right? Can't you come up with some perspective that will get through the thick skull of this Mindless Military Machine?"  
  
"The Russian mob is nothing to take lightly. In most accounts, it is the most powerful group of gangsters in the world. They own most of the banks in Russia, and have their tentacles firmly attached to banks in many other countries as well. Their foothold in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East---particularly Israel---continues to expand." She held out her hand and Melissa tossed her a bottle of brew. "They do business in all of the traditional vices and money making activities, but have established a huge weapons industry as well---not only do they market and distribute black market weaponry, they also have numerous production facilities. They finally succeeded in selling and delivering a nuclear submarine to Columbian drug lords, and are said to be willing to sell nuclear arms to those groups that possess goals and philosophies similar to their own."  
  
"Thank you. Sousuke, do you want to get on the hit list of something like that!" Kaname put her hands on her hips and dared Sousuke to answer 'yes.'  
  
"Kaname, we have no definite proof that Mr. Borodenko is---or ever was, for that matter---part of the Russian mafia. Even if he was, there is a high likelihood that he was unaware of the Deputy Minister's actions. He may in fact be grateful for the information." Sousuke spoke with great certainty, but there was a nagging kernel of doubt sitting heavy in his gut.  
  
"Uh huh. Of course Sousuke, whether or not Borodenko was involved in the past unpleasantry, he might take great offense at your meddling in his business. Indeed, he might consider ignorance to be bliss. He could well go on to chastise his fellow Finance big wigs after he erases a certain Arm Slave pilot and halsien magnet." Kurz' look was uncharacteristically concerned.  
  
"Not to mention the fact that our favorite fcking weasel Yong is no one to be trifled with himself, if the rumors are true." Melissa was extremely agitated, sucking down two beers without taking the time to savor the fine body or aftertaste. "Mira, just how rotten is that bastard whispered to be?"  
  
Capt. Concepcion sat up and put her chin on her hands. "There are significant stories floating around Intel about the things he has done in his current name. However, the crux of the matter lies with one uncertainty. If he is indeed the man who had called himself Lai Dechuan, he could be considered one of the most ruthless and dangerous men on the planet." Mira put down her beer bottle and raised an eyebrow. "I don't want to sound like I'm running a briefing here. Just how much do you want to know?"  
  
"Please, Mira. Tell us all you can. No one has ever explained anything about that man to me." Kaname didn't verbalize her true wish. She wanted Casimira to say enough to change Sousuke's mind. "I have no idea about what he did, or who he worked for."  
  
"Well, OK. First off, it's probably more accurate to think about who worked for him, rather than the other way around." Mira looked over at Sousuke, wondering if anything she said would make a difference one way or another. "The influx of illegal Chinese immigrants into the Russian Far East helped Chinese organized crime gangs to gain a lucrative new base of operations in a vast lawless territory. Lai Dechuan was a gangster boss with many nicknames, the most prevalent being "Eldest Brother." He ran three gangs that smuggled anything and everything from fish to migrant workers. He invested in legitimate businesses, but placed greater emphasis on extorting protection money from other business men. People resisting him were prone to lose fingers, ears, noses...or their lives."  
  
"Why would a man like that leave such a profitable life, only to join Mithril as a high level financial officer?" Melissa looked puzzled. It was one of the key questions. "The folders you provided us with didn't touch on that."  
  
"Lai Dechuan succeeded by keeping a low profile. He was well-connected with local administrators, police officials, and the like. Despite being Chinese, he turned himself into one of Russia's crime lords in a relatively short period of time. That did not sit well with older traditional groups, particularly the Tajik, Kazakh, and Chechen who still had the greatest control over the drug trade. Furthermore, he was not unique. Chinese organized crime increased dramatically, and some of the new groups may have wanted to sit where he was seated." Casimira stood and stretched, causing Kurz to hold his breath. He still envied Sousuke. "Whatever the reason, the law enforcement authorities went after him and his most powerful cronies. He was the only one to escape. While none of the others were ever brought to court, they all disappeared under suspicious circumstances."  
  
"Well, that's not as bad as Borodenko, is it babe?" Kurz was smiling half- heartedly again. "That clown can't have too much of an organization backing him up any more. He's small potatoes compared to the Russian syndicates. Not only that, but OWWWW." It was Kurz' turn to be clueless. Kaname was NOT pleased with the direction the conversation was headed. Kurz bit his lip when he took an elbow to the head from the irate young lady.  
  
Mira tried not to smile. Kurz deserved everything he got, and then some. She looked at Kaname when she spoke, not Kurz. "No doubt he managed to sneak a great deal of money out with him, not to mention the fact that he likely had a fair amount of wealth hidden away in Swiss accounts. Money can buy a lot of things, especially fin the hands of ruthless and bloodthirsty men. Furthermore, even though he was forced to run, his talents and accomplishments would give him great standing in criminal circles. No doubt he could find whatever contracts and vendettas he wanted if he was so motivated." She nodded to Kaname.  
  
Sousuke spoke very slowly and very sternly. "I thank you all for what you are trying to do. I fully understand the reasons behind it all. I am one of the most fortunate men alive. I have someone to love." He looked at Kaname, seeing her eyes well up with tears. "I have friends who I care about, and who care greatly for me in return." His eyes traveled slowly over each and every person in the room. "BUT, none of that changes the facts as they stand. Kaname was at tremendous risk in the past. If powerful men find that their prior plots were thwarted, their resentment and need to maintain face could prove fatal this time, even if the issue of Kaname and myself should be moot to them now."  
  
Sousuke held up his hand when Kaname opened her mouth to speak. "I am not doing this out of anger or vengeance. You have made certain that I will not be making my decisions ill-informed. This is not a matter of pride or overprotectiveness. There is a spreading rot within Mithril that should not be left to fester any further than it has. There are principles that need to be acted on, if I am not to become a hypocrite. I believe my goal is right. The only thing that remains is matter of determining the best course of action. Anything I could do would carry with it enormous risks. This has the potential for the greatest gain, least exposure, and fewest risks."  
  
"SOUSUKE!" Kaname looked stricken. She knew there was no changing his mind.  
  
"I ask that you all put your talents towards helping me optimize my plans, rather than trying to convince me to abandon my goal. I am going to keep my appointment with Mr. Borodenko no matter what you choose to do."  
  
Melissa, still Sousuke's superior, took some exception at his approach. "You still need to receive Cmdr. Horowitz' permission, Sousuke. Do not think that their consent is a given, especially if the group of us speak up against it!"  
  
"Their understanding and support would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise, despite what you might think, their permission is irrelevant as well. I will be going in, regardless. If I have to swim into shore, so be it. If it costs me my career in Mithril, I will get by."  
  
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"CMDR. HOROWITZ TO THE BRIDGE. WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT CONTACT. ACTION CODE ZEPHYR ONE NINER. REPEAT, ZEPHYR ONE NINER."  
  
The Commander had been busy finishing a workout in the small gym. There was no time to shower or to change. Dripping with sweat, his shirt sticking to his body uncomfortably, he walked onto the bridge of the TDD-3. "Report, Ensign Gwadabe."  
  
Zephyr 19. The randomly assigned call word for the undersea detection network that Cmdr. Horowitz had commissioned and placed on site by his own volition, without knowledge of anyone outside of the TDD-3 or the American contractor he had approached: his youngest brother, a distinguished nautical engineer. He had hoped that there would never be a need for the system, but that was water under the bridge now.  
  
"Sir, the network has picked up sonic and visual evidence of one 'Viperfish' submersible and three 'Lamprey' class submarines. Shortly after detection, more than a dozen smaller ill-defined images were detected as well. All bogies have been confirmed by the secondary and tertiary units.."  
  
Commander Horowitz new all too well what the destination was: the Mithril base. There was no doubt who was involved: one of Amalgam's splinter groups, or possibly the paraent organization itself. The craft were Black Technology bounty along the lines of the TDD series. Viperfish submersibles were all purpose attack submarines with A.S. capacity. Lampreys were troop and ordinance movers, mobile hangars for small infiltration submarines.  
  
"Call Lt. Gustaf to the bridge on the double." The Lt. Had assumed Capt. Concepcion's post while she was busy with here covert evidence collecting mission. He had been the one who had brought vague warnings and tenuous signs to the Commander's attention.  
  
'Poseidon's balls!!!' the Cmdr. thought. 'I truly hate it when the spooks and their conspiracy theories take center stage. Looks like the Amalgam family has it's trouble with leaks now and then too. The portents had come not a moment too soon. It was only be sheer good fortune that the TDD-1 and TDD-2 had been within sailing distance of the island a few days ago, otherwise the TDD-3 would have to go this one alone. Cmdr. Tucker had been ecstatic. He had been itching for a shot at those bastards. Capt. Testarossa had been uneasy, understandably so. Her transfer to a shore side position was only weeks away. If the battle went poorly, there may be no research facilities to report to. Each had agreed to hang around the area, ignoring their current orders and broadcasting falsified reports. They would all have been up to their eyebrows in shit if the leads hadn't panned out, but that was no longer a concern. Three subs ought to be more than enough. Somebody was in for a rude awakening.'  
  
"Ensign Kukrika, contact Cmdr. Tucker and Capt. Testarossa immediately. Inform them that the balloon has gone up. Have them set up a conference call with me as soon as they are able." He punched a button on his command chair, accessing Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Eleiden's pager. The code number he entered would instruct him to ready the air wing and the Special Responses Team. The TDD-3's entire A.S. compliment consisted of improved Arbalests. Modified Apache helicopters would be packing missile-heavy loads. The F-35 VTOL fighters should assure air superiority and help make every inch of ground a dear commodity for the invaders. The TDD-2 had the experimental RPV attack fighters, the 'Chevrons,' knicknamed the 'Bats Out Of Hell' for their coloration and formidable speed. This would be their first actual combat.  
  
One ARX-7 would be staying behind.  
  
'Sagara is on the ground now, meeting with Borodenko. It looks like things are far worse than we had originally surmised. Will this somehow work to our advantage, or will the enemy assault provide the perpetrators with the perfect cover to carry out prearranged plans? Wait, I'm getting too damn old. There's a good chance that someone in Mithril is in cahoots with those black-hearted fiends headed towards shore. Sagara may be walking into the very heart of the maelstrom.'  
  
"Fire control officer, use the underwater detection systems signals to plot rough positions for our unannounced guests. Let's see if we can find the needle in the haystack. Launch all loaded anti-submarine rockets." The foe was stealthy, but they would be moving slowly, some of them well within the littoral zone. At the very least, it was time to make them sweat a little. 'Maybe they'll even decide to abort the mission. This will be something like a high stakes game of "Battleship.' I choose Z-19....'  
  
Vyacheslav Alexi Borodenko was a large stocky man with a wrestler's physique gone to seed. To some, he was bigger than life. Infamous. Charming. Frightening. Disarming. To himself, he was no bigger than his heart. Money, power, respect---they all mattered, but not nearly as much as family.  
  
Leaning back in his leather chair, he let his eyes wander, taking in the pictures of his wife and children on his desk, and the photographs of countless other relatives scattered amongst the works of the old masters hanging on the walls. Music stands were still in place, left behind by the chamber group hired to play works by Glinka, Arensky, and Shostakovich. The pianist had been superb. The polished Baby Grand was still sitting out of place, centered in his large ornately decorated office. Large tapers, with hardened rivulets of wax, stood in fancy wrought iron stands. Large crystal vases held magnificent flower arrangements, the scent of the blossoms contrasting with the lingering scent of ethnic cooking and fine cigars.  
  
Empty bottles of sparking champagne were lined up along the walls like soldiers at attention. Small dishes and bowls of salted cabbage and Herring In A Sheepskin Coat were lost among the platters and plates of pelmeny, zharkoye, and shashlik. There had been many more honey pastries and bars of fruitcake than there were now---patty his belly with a satisfied sigh, he could well attest to that fact. The food had all been excellent. His nieces engagement celebration called for nothing less. The party had been put together as a way to offer his niece's fiance into the family, a way to help him begin to feel at home. To his great relief, his niece had been overwhelmed. He could still feel the ghost of her kiss upon his whiskered cheek.  
  
It had been difficult conducting business after that---he was a busy man, and there was always so much to get done. In stark contrast to his earlier days, Borodenko ran an honest trade at Mithril, attacking the job with just as much gusto and unrelenting expectation as he put towards everything else in his life. Certain ties remained, of course, but they rarely intruded on his comfortable and ordered world. It was nice to be owed favors. They were a valued resource. There were no favors he had outstanding, having spent a good part of his life serving men he been beholden to. The business men and foreign attaches he had met with today had come seeking favors. He had done his best to set up equitable trades.  
  
Senator McSimmons had cancelled his visit. Borodenko was thankful. That man had an unreasonable view of his own importance. He was greatly mistaken in his views, believing he deserved special treatment and concessions. He had done nothing to earn respect or trust. He had shown no willingness to make sacrifices. Dealing with him would have rubbed some of the luster off of a splendid day.  
  
There was only one scheduled appointment left for the day. 'Sousuke Sagara.' Mithril soldier for all of his adult years. Assigned to the TDD- 3, under the command of Cmdr. Horowitz and Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Eleiden, men with reputations quite different than that of the self-centered senator.  
  
"What can he possibly want?" He was speaking to himself. "What is his business with the Minister of Finance?"His four bodyguards new better than to answer, or to listen for that matter. Full plates in hand, three of them left to take up their positions at various points throughout the building. They would return when Mr. Sagara arrived. The fourth man pulled a chair just outside of the room.  
  
Opening his desk drawer, he took comfort in the loaded pistols he kept there. Taking out the dossier on Sagara, he went over his notes on the young man's accomplishments. 'Impressive. Consistent. Dedicated to protecting others. Good. Very good.' The facts about his early life were troubling. An orphan at an early age, his parents killed by Russian soldiers in Afghanistan. Raided and trained by the mujahadeen, he had become weapon in their hands, a tool of vengeance and liberation. 'Could that have anything to do with this meeting? Doubtful. I never set foot in Afghanistan. My weapons deals with the Taliban had come after Sagara had joined Mithril. Still, I am Russian. I can NOT turn a blind eye to this.'  
  
Before closing the folder, he scanned the final section, the facts and inferences about his character weaknesses, points of leverage, potential vulnerabilities, and all accumulated 'dirt.' He was far from being a Saint, but had shown a remarkable code of ethics and morality for a boy raised by wolves, so to speak. Not infrequently armed with tremendous destructive power, he had nevertheless outgrown his earlier tendency to be an angel of death. There were points of note, however. Reginald Smithers.. There were questions regarding the death of that despicable parasite. Recorded episodes of disobedience ere more frequent and more severe than a sovereign army would have accepted. But, there was a common thread, a redeeming feature if you will. He may have grown up without the benefit of family, but he showed a remarkable loyalty to friends, fellow soldiers, and the people he was assigned to protect.  
  
Borodenko absentmindedly spilled his glass of Medovuha as he came across the copious condensed notes from his department personnel. How could he have never heard of Sagara's name before? Some of the bills had been astronomical---but, he admitted, many of the successes he had brought about were priceless. 'Ah. Liang Yong had been following his case. Of course, he would keep such information to himself rather than risk losing face.' In any case, it seems that his headaches for the Finance Division had diminished significantly, not much more than four years ago. 'Thank God!!! I wonder if Lloyds of London would issue an insurance policy on a walking force of Nature?'  
  
The young soldier was remarkably short on vices. No drugs. Social drinking only. No gambling. By all accounts unconcerned with rank or advancement. No penchant for prostitutes or courtesans. His contact with women was meager for a man his age. No doubt a result of his childhood. 'Oh. And possibly as the result of the loss of his girlfriend. A terrible tragedy. The closest thing he had to family. Where have I heard the name Kaname Chidori before?'  
  
The Deputy of Finances sat stroking his well-manicured beard. It would be interesting to see just what the young man wanted. Was this for his own purpose, or was he being used as a messenger or scout for someone higher up the chain of command? The mystery appealed to him, so he granted an interview he normally would not have. 'Curiosity killed the cat.' It was wise to be prepared. He picked up a sterling silver bell with a mahogany handle. He rang it three times in succession. Moments later, his lead bodyguard walked into the room and over to his desk.  
  
"Minister?" Pavel Totahounov was a tall slender man, a whippet to his boss' mastiff. His gaunt appearance was misleading. He was one of the most dangerous men that Borodenko had ever known. Like the other guards, he was ex-KGB, a man thrown away when the SVR had taken hold and modeled itself after its Western equivalents. He had given the man a job, a new life. He had treated him like family. His loyalty was never in doubt.  
  
"Sousuke Sagara, my next visitor, is an exceedingly capable young man." The bodyguard understood his superior's use of that word. "I will not insult you by telling you to be careful---there is never a time when you are not. I will say that this individual requires special attention. The usual search procedures may not be adequate in themselves. There will be no room for errors. I would ask that you pass along similar words to Mr. Solonik, Mr. Mogelivich, and Mr. Ivankov." As the man turned to walk away, Borodenko added. "Ah! And Pavel, please take some Cuban cigars for yourself and the others. This is a rather special day." He did not see the fleeting look of sadness in his bodyguard's eyes.  
  
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'Sagara. Sousuke Sagara. Yes, that name was certainly familiar. How could anyone forget him?'  
  
"Sagara, why here? Why now?" Liang Yong thought back to the quandry the young man had once presented him with. It had indeed been worth keeping the young Arm Slave pilot alive, healthy, and at the forefront of Mithril's effective rapid response teams. It had been rather delicious pulling the strings on that young submarine captain. He gave no thought whatsoever to the blue-haired girl who was once the necessary focal point of his wrath. "Why Borodenko." Was it all coincidence?  
  
He toyed with an ornamental dagger, a museum replica or one reputed to have been used by Ghengis Khan. Irritated, he threw the knife, chipping a rather expensive dynastic urn. 'Is there a danger here? A serious threat? Who's hand has set this in motion. To what end??????'  
  
His favorite pewter goblet was the next object to feel his wrath. He was already riding a a rushing wave of adrenalin. Today was the day. Despite all of the careful planning, he could still be at some degree of risk from the invading troops---there was never a sure way to predict what might happen during the fog of battle. His complete safety was not an option, as he could not risk being off the island when the strike occurred. There would be some conspiracy freaks in Intel who would put together an altogether too plausible scenario fingering him if he was conveniently absent. If they dug deep enough, who knows what they might find? No, he had to face his risk. 'Once on a tiger's back, it is harder to alight.'  
  
"Could someone know the plan...." His heart skipped a beat. Why would he show up in person, alone, if someone had an inkling of the impending assault? A phone call from a commanding officer would carry much more weight, and would have the benefit of speed. 'If he were here in an Arm Slave, I would have reason to sweat. Breath deep. Seek the center. Be at peace.'  
  
Liang Yong walked over to a small ornate bar and poured himself a shot of peach brandy. Bringing the small glass to his mouth, he stopped. His mind had wings, darting from thought to thought like a busy insect. 'Could he have found HER. If he realized they had been duped, would he follow the trail? Wouldn't he realize that the risks far outweighed any possible benefit? What might Borodenko do...'  
  
Suddenly, he threw back his head and laughed. "What might Borodenko do IF he was to live a day longer?" Yes, it was foolish to worry about each and every possible risk. Instead, why not give thought to possible benefits.  
  
'Yes. So very sweet. Fortune favors the worthy. The enemy soldiers would not kill the Minister of Finance. An unbalanced young soldier would. A young maniac warped by a life as a violent and under-appreciated pawn. A young traitor helping to coordinate the dastardly sneak attack on the island. Sousuke Sagara. Those who spoke out in his posthumous defense would see the glaring light of suspicion shining on them. Such a terrible tragedy. But, while the flames of confusion and uncertainty swirled around the survivors, Liang Yong would be a guide, the man to lead Mithril through the chaos.' 


	5. To The Devil His Due

Carrying his weapons bag over one shoulder, Sousuke made his way towards the Finance Division compound at the far end of the complex. He would be on his own as soon as he entered the large security doors. But, he had only gotten this far by relying on others. Cmdr. Horowitz and Lt. Cmdr. Ben- Eleiden had given their support, and had kept the TDD-3 and its fighting forces within reach of the island. Kurz and Melissa were waiting patiently in their M9s, just off shore, ready to rush to his aid if necessary. Casimira had provided invaluable information and was already in the compound, risking serious consequences if her evidence gathering was exposed.  
  
Kaname had given him the will to see this through, even though she wished he would just let things be.  
  
As he walked, the young soldier reminded himself again that Mr. Borodenko was by all reports affiliated with the Russian mafia. That organization bore no resemblance to the Sicilian mafia or 'La Costra Nosa.' Two of Sousuke's favorite movies were 'The Godfather' and its only worthy sequel, 'The Godfather II.' He would not be meeting a man like Don Corleone. His reading in 'Red Mafiya,' in 'Russian Organized Crime: The New Threat?,' and in the 'National Institute of Justice' Journal had disabused any such notions. The Russian mafia was not associated with honor and respect.  
  
Mr. Borodenko's background was a matter of great conjecture, but a number of things were known for certain. He had grown up in a three generation family of steel workers, living in the shadow of the Magnitogorsk Metal Works. He had served in the military. He had started his postgraduate studies in the aerospace field, but soon transferred to the Academy of Economics. Later, established as a bright young mind, he had worked for various independent companies doing consulting work for government officials on a federal and regional level. He specialized in short-term, medium, and long-term macroeconomic projections. In his free time, it seems, he branched off into more lucrative and less acceptable pursuits.  
  
What was truth and what was conjecture? The current Finance Minister of Mithril had been linked with Russian mafia efforts to assist Mexican cartels smuggle drugs. While living in Paris, he had been implicated in shady dealings between Mossad and corrupt scientists of his home country--- the sale of fissionable materials on the black market had been uncovered by French intelligence. His underlings had been fingered in a huge credit card e-theft, but his involvement was never substantiated. When the German police had uncovered Russian criminals trying to sell Rubens paintings that had vanished from the home of Joseph Goebbels during the second world war, his name was linked to the gang hawking the works of the great Flemish master. 'Looks like he has led an interesting life.'  
  
Sousuke entered the main building. He would have to leave his bag at the security desk. There was no way that the perimeter guards would let him into the heart of the building carrying arms. If all Hell broke loose, and he had walked into a corrupt den of vipers, he might be able to fight his way back to his stash. Might.  
  
Knowing what he did about Borodenko's bodyguards, there was a good chance that his concealed weapons would be discovered---even though it would paint him in a bad light, he would risk sneaking those items in. All four men were formidable opponents. Ex-KGB, they were adept in all forms of personal weaponry. Having gone through Spetsnaz training, they were well versed in 'Systema,' the Russian system of martial arts. 'Systema Boyevogo Iskustvo,' dating back to the Cossacks, had helped repel invading Vikings, Sarmations, Scythians, Pechenegs, Drevlinians, Volgaa Bolgars, and Mongols. Sousuke had faced special forces soldiers aplenty in Afghanistan. He knew the type of men who would be keeping a close eye on him. He had no choice but to respect their abilities.  
  
The most senior guard had been a SpecOps soldier before joing the KGB. Once a shadow warrior for the GRU before his stint in the KGB, he had been briefly linked to the fabled 'Zaslon' unit after leaving the secret police. Only the best soldiers of the Russian Army could qualify for those positions.  
  
As it turned out, one of the bodyguards was waiting for him at the security desk. Evsei Solonik. A man with a checkered past. Rumored to have been involved in smuggling and black market weapons sales. The overly large dress coat that he wore did not entirely disguise a lopsided bulge. KEDR submachine gun, 9mm, 30 round magazine. No doubt he carried a Stetchkin APS pistol as well.  
  
"I am Sousuke Sagara, here for my meeting with Mr. Borodenko." Sousuke held his arms out, prepared to be searched. He was not.  
  
What is this?  
  
"Yes." That was all that the short one-eyed man said. He turned and walked. Sousuke followed.  
  
Silently, they walked through a long hallway, passing by alcoves and rooms of busy accountants and financial specialists. Passing by a room filled with bank upon bank of computing engines, Sousuke noticed that he had picked up a shadow. Sergei Ivankov. Once linked to racketeering and protection work. The squat and powerful man had a bulge under his coat as well, longer and fuller. Bizon-2, with a 64 round helical magazine? Good bet. No words were exchanged. No search was performed.  
  
The building was much larger than it had appeared on the outside. The décor and furnishings grew more ornate and more impressive as they walked further down the corridor. A third escort joined the procession. Gregor Mogilevich. Hired killer. Brutal in the extreme. Well suited to being a bodyguard to a man with a checkered past. He too wore a costly dress coat. Yet another concealed automatic weapon.  
  
For a moment, Sousuke's mind drifted. He was struck by an odd thought. In his imagination, he pictured himself walking into a room...the chair spins around after he is announced...and Borodenko is Gauron. A quick shake of his head erased that pointless daydream. He was in dangerous enough company as it was.  
  
Who had approved these men? Just what type of individuals would Mithril accept into its ranks???  
  
After a short while longer, Sousuke reached his destination. A velvet covered chair, its carved arms in the shape of crouching lions, sat just outside of a huge carven door. Lounging in the chair, one long leg hooked over its arm, a tall thin man looked remarkably relaxed. The young Mithril lieutenant new better. Given a choice, he'd rather face the crouching cats.  
  
Pavel Totahounov. Once nicknamed The Red Angel for all of the men he had helped escort to the Pearly Gates, the one time Russian SpecOps member had garnered every award a man in his station could receive. Choosing a darker path, he had gone on to commit every crime imaginable. A man like that had no business being here. A monster like that had no business being alive!!!  
  
Yawning, then stretching, the chief bodyguard ground out his cigar against his bare wrist. Tossing back his head, he drained the last of his Prostokvasha. He smiled. "Lt. Sagara, I presume. From what I have heard, I expected you to be ten feet tall, with scales and fangs." He laughed, a low pitched gurgling sound. "Perhaps we won't all be needed after all." Sousuke did not like the way that sounded. 'What exactly is he saying? He was less of a threat than they thought, so there will be less need for bodyguards? Or, it won't take as many men as expected to take him out?' "You're trustworthy, aren't you? There's no need for a search, is there?"  
  
"No." Souske had not lied. There was no need to search him. That did not mean that he was not carrying a concealed weapon.  
  
"Marvelous." Totahounov walked over and spoke quietly into his ear. "I had so hoped that you would reward my trust in you. It must take great willpower to walk peacefully among Russian men, seeing what you went through in Afghanistan. But then, we are all on the same team, right?"  
  
"One would hope." Sousuke smiled, brushing off his sleeve. "Russian men are usually honorable. They're not ones to change teams, are they?" Sousuke caught the slight stiffening of the man's posture. A hit. Why? "Even the less than angelic members of Mithril are a part of the family, are they not?"  
  
"Of course." The guard had to fight to keep from smiling at Sousuke's thinly veiled reference to his colorful nickname. "But, I am afraid we have no time to further our acquaintance. I have kept Mr. Borodenko waiting far longer than I should." Totohounov's smile seemed natural enough. "You are free to enter." He waved his arm towards the door.  
  
Sousuke stood quietly, unmoving. His eyes were riveted on the face of the chief bodyguard. Neither man blinked. "Thank you." He walked into the room.  
  
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This is the life!'  
  
His seat reclined fully, Kurz tapped his hand against the ARX-7s control lever, his eyes glued to the Arm Slave's external view screen.  
  
"Wail on that thang, B.B.!" Kurz watched the colorful fish swim amongst the reef, listening to a Blues CD he had burned the week before. "You are the master."  
  
"At least you have that right, numb nuts." Melissa's voice had an edge of urgency to it. "Turn that shit off and pay attention, pretty boy."  
  
"Well. Babe, I knew you thought I was hot. It was only a matter of time before---"  
  
"QUIET!!!!!!"  
  
Kurz knew better than to say another word when Melissa used that tone.  
  
"Lt. Weber, I have just heard from Cmdr. Horowitz. An assault force is preparing to attack the island, taking advantage of what they must think is a shortage of defenders. We will be amongst the first Mithril troops to show them the error of their. Buckle up, little man, it's time to move. Access the beach behind the breakwater. Take out any and every enemy you see."  
  
"Sousuke?" Kurz already knew the answer.  
  
"He's on his own for now." Melissa sounded none too pleased.  
  
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It was an exceedingly tense time aboard the TDD-3. The ship had surfaced after the first salvo of 'Sea Lance' ASW-SOWs were launched, immediately raising the ECS masts and sending out sonar decoys.. The hangar crew had been busy launching the T35s, Apaches, and Arm Slaves. A number of RPVs were sent aloft for reconnaissance and to provide data to the GPS aiming systems.  
  
'This is a damn fine crew.' Cmdr. Horowitz sat in his chair on the bridge, simultaneously scanning the incoming visuals, issuing orders, and conversing with the commanders aboard the other Mithril submarines. 'I have a feeling that I will soon have a wonderful opportunity to see how they act under extreme duress.' His thoughts were prophetic.  
  
By all accounts, the enemy Viperfish survived the initial attack. Though shrouded by its own electronic camouflage system, the craft was launching its air and land combat forces. A number of cruise missiles had been launched. Before long, he expected to see what they had sent in his direction.  
  
One of the Lampreys was destroyed, hit by the light torpedoes jettisoned from a pair of Sea Lances. If they hadn't all been so close to land, the Commander would have ordered the SOWs loaded with W-89 nuclear warheads. 'But, the infernal devices have a 6 mile effective radius. Give or take a few hundred yards.'  
  
"Sir, we have coordinates. One of the Osprey-R's from the TDD-1 confirmed the attack sub's coordinates before they were all knocked down.." The massive RPVs, based on the V-22 tilt-rotor craft, carried large amounts of sophisticated equipment useful in detecting masked undersea craft. Adjacent differences in sea temperature...eddy currents...magnetic flux...theses things and more could be used to pinpoint the location of the enemy. "The Chevrons are going in hot and nasty, loaded for bear."  
  
"Good! Ensign, patch the coordinates into the fire control system. Launch the remaining Sea Lances. Vector half of the F35s to the subs location. That rat bastard must be lonely, so far from his home base. Let's help him feel wanted."  
  
Cmdr. Horowitz was thrown from his seat, suffering a fierce impact with a bank of instruments halfway across the bridge. Wiping away the blood pooling in his eyes, he saw that his fellow sailors had suffered a similar fate. The TDD-3 had lurched fully up on to its side following the impact of an undetected missile. Men and equipment had been dumped into the sea, never knowing what hit them.  
  
"Ensign. Ensign Kukrika. REPORT!"  
  
Ensign Kukrika did not answer. His neck sat at an unnatural angle.  
  
"Ensign Sipe, take over damage control. FIND OUT HOW WE STAND, PRONTO!"  
  
Sirens were sounding throughout the ship. Automatic fire fighting systems were at work. Emergency bulkheads were closed or closing. The rocking motion of the vessel was uneven, everything tilted as if the TDD-3 listed heavily to one side.  
  
"Aye, sir. It looks like we were hit in the lightly armored area of the launch bay. One of the giant external hatches has been entirely blown away. I cannot tell much more by visual. There's too much smoke. The gyroscopes are working in the red already. We are taking on water."  
  
"Holy Mother of God! At least we had put a fair number of craft in the air. Listen up people. Let the other subs know our condition. Direct welding teams to the site of hull breeches. Help direct the rescue personnel. Find out what weapons systems are still operational."  
  
The bridge personnel moved quickly to comply with their instructions.  
  
"Let's see just how tough you are, old girl." Cmdr. Horowitz winced in pain, whispering to the spirit of his boat. His hip. Broken or dislocated. 'Damn. Old age catches up with us all, sooner or later.' "I'd really like to make it home for the wife's birthday."  
  
I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast for I intend to sail into harm's way. That, and other sayings from John Paul Jones rushed to the forefront of his thoughts, followed by one from James Lawrence. "Don't Give up the ship!" He watched as his crew redoubled their efforts. 'Let's hope we fair better than the USS Cheasapeake did back then.'  
  
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Picking herself off of her cabin floor, Kaname wondered what had happened. She had been thrown violently against a storage locker, leaving a huge dent. The sound had been so very loud, accompanied by vibrations that had caused her teeth to rattle.  
  
'Was that an explosion? Well, if it was, she couldn't blame Sousuke THIS time. Or, could she?'  
  
The door to her cabin was obviously not watertight. She could tell by the water seeping in at an alarmingly steady rate.  
  
'Should I open the door? What if the hallway is already completely under water? But if it's not, and I waste my chance to escape? I need answers!'  
  
She hit the call button on the intercom.  
  
There were many others with the same idea.  
  
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Sousuke walked into the room with tangible feelings of trepidation and curiosity. He hated to turn his back on the bodyguards, knowing what type of men they were. But, he was seeking the attention of a powerful and proud man. It was unwise to do anything that might insult the Finance Minister or invite his wrath. It would be potentially foolhardy to create a bad impression of himself. Showing a lack of trust or an obvious deficiency of courage might poison the mood irreparably. After all, he had come here with two separate but intertwined purposes. Fact finding. Followed by favor asking, if the first part went well. It was a major gamble, and he had little control over the cards he would be dealt.  
  
The footsteps behind him ceased soon after he entered the room. He focused his attention on the room around him, taking note of everything. Obviously, there had been some form of celebration here. Looking past that, he tried to learn something about the man he was approaching. The furnishings were ornate but not opulent. Valuable but not showy. Varied but not eclectic. Mr. Borodenko was apparently a lover of history, and more precisely, a collector of ancient weapons and martial items. Roman. Russian. Mongol. Etruscan. Phoenecian. Mayan. A very impressive selection.  
  
The walls of the room told Sousuke more. The man valued family, very much so. He also valued paintings by the old masters. The sight of one large painting in particular brought Sousuke up short. A Rubens, or an excellent replica. No doubt Mr. Borodenko was aware of some of the allegations made against him in the past. Obviously, he was either unconcerned or purposefully trying to make a point. The doubt alone made a powerful statement. It would keep knowledgeable people guessing.  
  
Sousuke could not help himself. His heartbeat had sped up and his breathing had quickened. His own actions---and the reactions of the man he was about to meet---could have significant repercussions.  
  
Kaname.  
  
The man's eyes watched him, like those of an experienced hawk tracking a viper. His face showed no emotion. His posture gave little away. The set of his mouth changed ever so slightly as he evaluated his young visitor. 'Is that approval? Amusement? Boredom?' The man's eyes left Sousuke briefly, then returned. He was likely checking the positions of his bodyguards, or sending them a subtle message.  
  
"Sir, my name is Sousuke Sagara, Lieutenant of Mithril. I offer you my sincerest thanks for allowing me to meet with you today." Sousuke's voice had not wavered. He showed no signs of distaste or discomfort, even though he found himself beset by both feelings to some degree.  
  
"Vyacheslav Borodenko...but then you know who I am." The Finance Minister waved his hand towards a plush velvet covered chair, its periphery decorated by polished bronze studs. A large coffee table flanked the seat, glass-topped, displaying an ivory-handled Russian cavalry saber of 19th century origin. A large goblet appeared freshly filled with ice and nothing more. A clean plate and wrapped set of utensils lay near it.  
  
After Sousuke nodded his thanks and seated himself, Mr. Borodenko continued. "We celebrated my niece's engagement earlier today. I had them leave the food and refreshments out until my appointments for today were finished. Please help yourself to anything you might like. Knowing your history, it is possible that you might find ethnic Russian food unsavory in principle. I apologize if that is the case."  
  
"I am neither hungry nor thirsty, sir. Nonetheless, I thank you for the courtesy. I will add that I am not offended by the offer in any manner. If I may be blunt, I have not come seeking a reason to be insulted, and have no desire to create or embellish any hard feelings." Sousuke had meant the statement as a reassurance, a statement of intent, and an opening for the obvious question.  
  
"Ah, that is reassuring." Mr. Borodenko smiled openly. He had caught Sousuke's intent and was pleased by its subtlety. "May I ask then...." He too would offer opportunity.  
  
"At the risk of being offensive, I will forego matters of supplication and denouement . I have matters of great importance to report, and seek either recommendations or assistance with subsequent actions. The facts and questions in themselves may appear accusatory, but that is not my intent. While my primary purpose is a selfish one, I am also acting out of the best interest of Mithril as I see it. If my story is news to you, there may be benefit for yourself in the telling of it as well." Sousuke wished he could get inside of the other man's head. 'Did that sound reasonable, or have I polluted the well?'  
  
The elder gentlemen, his round face slightly tense and his eyes narrowed, rested his chin on his clasped hands. He took stock of Sousuke with quiet intent, reacting first to the implications in his visitors words. Soon enough, he sat up straighter and smiled. The entreaty was plain enough and well spoken. "You may proceed." He actually laughed, breaking the mood. "Rest assured, I will not sift the words looking for threats or insults. I will ask however, that you give me a brief statement of what this is about before speaking in any detail."  
  
"Sir. I have been the victim of a plot that arose in the Finance Division a number of years ago. A person who I treasure, and who I was assigned to protect, was at the greatest possible risk. I have come seeking some manner of redress." Sousuke saw a light of understanding arise in the other man's eyes. That, and a look of suspicion."  
  
"Miss Chidori? And you used both past tense and present tense."  
  
Sousuke was startled. Soon thereafter, he felt embarrassed to have shown that reaction. "Yes sir, Kaname Chidori. In essence, someone we both trusted was driven to deceive the two of us, convincing both myself and Miss Chidori that the other had died under unfortunate circumstances. She had good reason to believe that Miss Chidori would have met a true and untimely end if she did not see to matters satisfactorily."  
  
It was Mr. Borodenko's turn to be shocked. He too blushed at the show of his emotion. The pieces fell together quickly. He had a name if not a reason. "Liang Yong?" He tried to keep the distaste out of his voice, but failed. But, his reaction earned him a valuable insight when he saw the young lieutenant's response to it. "I came across his name linked to yours today, looking through your records. Naturally, there was no mention of a plot."  
  
"Yes." Some of the tension eased in Sousuke. He wanted to take the question one step further, but there was no way to do so without risking insult. As it turned out, he did not need to ask.  
  
"You need not reply, but what you want to know most of all is whether he acted on his own, had received my blessing, or was acting under my orders. Those would be the questions I would have in your place."  
  
Sousuke nodded.  
  
"I suppose I should not be surprised by this. Not by your circumstances in particular, but by his willingness to take things to such an extent. He is indeed a dangerous man, as you must be well aware. His influences are far reaching and his ambitions are poorly disguised. He is a subtle and patient man, but his patience will go only so far. Did you realize before coming, that this meeting would put me at risk?" The Minister's voice had come dangerously close to becoming a growl. Sousuke was on even more perilous ground now.  
  
"Yes, I did. Not only did I contemplate the damage my question might cause you, but I also gave consideration to the injury that my actions might cause me." Sousuke looked straight into Mr. Borodenko's eyes. "To be precise, I gave thought to the danger you might pose to me. Miss Chidori, and any of the persons who might rightly or wrongly be associated with my actions." After pausing to regain his equilibrium, he continued. "My feelings for Miss Chidori are what prompted the incident long ago, and are what bring me here today. I place her well being before my own, and before anyone else's. Furthermore, I place Mithril's well being before my own."  
  
Vyacheslav Borodenko was awash with different emotions. Ultimately, he could find no fault with the young soldier's actions. After all, it was precisely what he would have done himself. "I see. Then---"  
  
Whatever the Mithril Minister of Finance had intended to say was interrupted by a series of loud explosions, the concussions from which shook the room and sent a crystal chandelier swinging wildly. A half full punchbowl sloshed its contents out and over expensive linens. Books fell over and porcelain figurines were knocked from their perches. Pictures and paintings sagged crookedly on the walls.  
  
A series of smaller explosions followed. There was the unmistakable sound of jet aircraft flying close overhead. Compound sirens sprung to life. A growing commotion could be heard outside the room.  
  
"Evsei, Segei, see what is going on. Be quick about it."  
  
Sousuke had been watching the Minister closely, even after the explosions had begun. His eyes widened shortly after he gave his order. The sound of feet was approaching, not receding. The other man quickly brought up a gun he had been holding under his desk all that time.  
  
Without sparing time enough to glance behind him, Sousuke settled on a course of action. He had worked his way through a different scenario with similar risks. 'If I am mistaken, I will apologize and accept what comes. If I am not, I must move swiftly and successfully. Otherwise, myself and Mr. Borodenko are likely doomed.'  
  
Sousuke's memory was good. He had mapped out possible sites of cover and the location of any object that could be used as a weapon. His first course of action was to by enough time to assess the situation and react accordingly.  
  
Gunshots rang out from in front of him and behind him. Pistols. If his worst fears came to life, there would be submachine gun fire soon thereafter. Seeing Mr. Borodenko jerk backward, hit high in the shoulder, he completed a subtle but determined course of action. He had pressed firmly down on the heels of both feet, twisting abruptly. The backs of his dress shoes detached, activating a trigger mechanism in each. 'I owe the Infiltration operatives in Intel a round of drinks if I get out of here alive!'  
  
Sousuke threw one powerful flash grenade at the area the gunshots behind him originated from. He threw the other back by the rear wall of the room where the other guards had taken up station. In a flash of motion, he noticed that Pavel Tothounov jump out of the room through the open doorway.  
  
'Every second counts now....'  
  
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"Somebody's fcking serious, alright!" Melissa felt an uncontrollable urge to curse, fighting hard to keep her ARX-7 on its feet immediately after the huge explosions shook the ground, sending enormous fireballs expanding ever upward. Pieces of buildings and large amounts of soil rained down on her machine and everything else in the general vicinity.  
  
She checked the map reader on her console. The initial wave of the attack—presumably cruise missiles---were directed towards the barracks, the hangars, heavy equipment sheds, and the communications facilities. The Finance buildings were relatively untouched. 'Hope your luck holds out, Sousuke.'  
  
The threat detectors screamed for immediate attention. Melissa toggled through a number of different systems, biting her lip. Her pulse rate went up and her hands clenched the controls spasmodically. 'OK. It's payback time. You motherfckers won't be expecting us, will you?' Enemy Arm Slaves were arriving by means of powered gliders. Small submarines were dropping off troops just beyond the nearest reefs. The IFF system was having a nervous breakdown trying to sort out the combatants in a growing dance over head.  
  
The three TDD class submarines had enjoyed the luxury of surprise. They had launched their own forces shortly before the enemy had. Three full squads of Arbalests were moving into position. If the Amalgam forces were going to reach their objectives, it would not be without a fight.  
  
"All right you apes, listen up. It's time to kick some tail. Anyone slacking off will get my foot up their ass when the smoke clears. That's whether they are dead or alive!" Melissa had been given nominal control of all ground forces. The IFF system indicated that a number of vehicles were approaching form an inland direction. 'Friendlies. Looks like the advanced warning had allowed some of the remaining troops to move out before the missiles struck.' The automatic frequency sorter signaled its success. "You guys are just in time. Leave the heavy work to us. There'll be some tourists coming up on the beach any moment now. I'd appreciate it if you'd give them your undivided attention."  
  
"Sis, it's time to ROCK AND ROLL!!!" Kurz' voice came in loud over the com set. Melissa smiled. She wasn't going to slap him down this time. He had reason to be excited. They all did. It wasn't often that they got a chance to fight on home territory. ']Yes, it ought to be very sweet getting a chance to ruin the enemy's day. Finding an excuse to burst Kurz' bubble later will be an added bonus. It's a great day to be alive....'  
  
"It's time children. They're within range. Knock'em out of the air if you can. Make'em pay dearly for every step they take on our soil!" Melissa moved her ARX-7 ahead at full stride, bringing her Javelin missile system to bear on the first target entering her zone. 'Adios, asshole!!!'  
  
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Ling Yong couldn't contain himself. He tilted back his head and laughed after each massive explosion sent a tremor through the room. Not part of the plan, his bodyguards did not know what was happening---they were very edgy, forced to stay by his side while he lounged in his favorite chair seemingly unperturbed. 'That is NOT the sound of impending doom. Those are the glorious drums of war, signaling my triumph. All of my careful plans will be coming to fruit.'  
  
A number of underlings ran into the room, reporting that the island was under attack. They urged the Deputy Minister to head for the fortified underground shelters. Sneering, he told them to run if they wanted. He told them to keep on running. He would remember each and every name. "I have full trust in our brave troops. They will repel the foolish invaders." He smiled at his own lie. There were not enough soldiers remaining in the barracks to repel a women's knitting circle.  
  
Ten minutes passed, the sounds of battle outside growing more heated with every moment. Liang Yong was more concerned about gunshots that should have taken place within the building. 'Borodenko should be dead by now. Sagara, too. Such a tragedy. Who could have possibly seen such a conspiracy coming?' Sarcasm was something he relished, more now than ever. Liang Yong had complete faith in the four turncoat bodyguards. His grip on them would tighten even further now. 'Marvelous. Simply wonderful. The King is dead. Long live the King!'  
  
His excitement grew. He had to have confirmation now. He needed to see it with his own eyes. Time to keep up with the act. "You three. Let's go, now. We must assure the safety of the Minister."  
  
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Sousuke had been through this before. He could imagine a giant clock inside his head. As he watched each movement of the second hand, he would swear that the movement came at least a minute too late. Frame by frame, the scene before him advanced.  
  
Borodenko fell or ducked behind his desk.  
  
The stun grenades were on their way.  
  
Eyes closed, he picked up his chair and flung it towards the area he had last placed the foremost guard.  
  
Gunshots came form that direction. 'Pistol.'  
  
Elbow brought down with great force, he smashed the glass top of the nearby table.  
  
Eyes open again, he took out the razor sharp saber, grateful that it had not been displayed in its scabbard.  
  
More shots, in rapid succession. 'Submachine gun. No, plural.' A lacquered leather Mongol shield fell off the wall near him. A bullet whizzed by close to his ear.  
  
Rolling on the floor, he came to his feet, positioning himself so that the lead guard was between him and the other guards.  
  
Gunshots behind him, target unknown.  
  
Rushing the slightly disoriented guard---Solonik---Sousuke felt a sharp pain in his left thigh. 'Bullet.'  
  
Another large explosion shook the room. Unknown items fell, causing a racket. His target stumbled, putting his gun hand down on the ground. 'Opportunity. Lunge NOW!!!'  
  
Leaping and thrusting in one forceful motion, he arrived at his opponent before he could bring up his weapon.  
  
Gunshots from all directions. Some were hitting the floor dangerously close to him.  
  
The moment of victory, the feel of a blade passing through flesh. The jar of his arm, as the tapered tip ran up against bone.  
  
Life on the line as he makes a fateful decision. Momentarily prone and unmoving, he reaches inside the dying man's dress coat and swings around the Bizon-2. Its movement limited by the sling around the man's neck, the gun fires as the trigger is pulled.  
  
Looking up, he sees Totahounov standing behind the outer frame of the door, pistol pointed at his head. 'No way to swing the submachine gun in that direction. No shot. Still alive. Why?'  
  
Movement to the left. Ivankov. Bizon-2 chattering away, shells littering the floor. Ducking behind the piano. If he was not going for Borodenko, it was a flanking maneuver.  
  
More movement. Mogilevich. He's clutching his abdomen with one hand, KEDR firing away in the grasp of the other. His path noted.  
  
Risky decision. Gun angled upward, he shoots to sever the electrical cable on the chandelier. Most of the room goes dark. Totahounaov silhouetted in the doorway, unmoving.  
  
More gunshots behind him. Pistol. A grunt. The sound of the piano as a hands slams down on the unseen keys.  
  
Exposed and vulnerable, he takes the time to extricate his gun from the dead man's body.  
  
Small divan to the left, estimated four paces. 'Jump!' Bullets spray across the area he just left.  
  
Landing on the top of the furniture, he loses balance as the piece flips over on its back, providing minimal cover.  
  
'Listen!' Any sound or movement is a target. Hopefully Borodenko will not make a dash for the door.  
  
Running feet. A table bumped into, glasses falling against one another. Gunfire, with bullets sending plaster down upon his head. 'The aim is too high. Luckily. The direction was spot on.'  
  
Returning fire, hoping the large magazine still had plenty to offer. The sound of glasses shattering. A startled cry. The sound of wooden furniture collapsing. A gun firing, then stopping.  
  
"Sagara!" Borodenko's voice. "Lt. Sagara, I have taken down Ivankov. I saw his form fall across the light from the door. Soldier, are you still alive."  
  
Options considered. Speaking would pinpoint his location. But, Totahounov already knew where he was. If the others were down, there was no new risk. "Sir, Solonik is dead. Mogilevich went down, but I do not know if it was involuntary or whether he is lying low. The leader remains outside the door."  
  
"Traitors. Accursed snakes. Their families will pay for the sins they have committed." There was the sound of movement low to the ground. Coming from near the desk.  
  
Sousuke began to crawl in the dark as well, keeping the doorway in sight.  
  
"That is precisely the reason we were here, Minister." Totahounov's voice. "Nothing else could have driven us to break your trust. I could not bring myself to follow through, however. Sergei. Gregor. Evsei. Their blood is on my hands now because of that." There was a moment of complete silence. "It was Liang Yong. He placed our families at risk. He ordered the assassination" Totahounov raised his pistol, placing the muzzle against his right temple.  
  
"Pavel! Wait!"  
  
"Lt. Sagara. You would have provided a useful and convenient cover story. I am glad you have survived. Yours skills are admirable. I wish we could have met under different circumstances." He bowed his head. "Minister, forgive me. I ask that you protect Ivana. She is in danger from Liang Yong's men. This is my last service to you."  
  
A gunshot rang out. The gaunt man's lifeless form fell heavy to the floor.  
  
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Kaname was growing fatigued. Her legs had begun to cramp up. The chill of the water began to numb her spirit.  
  
Bang. Bang bang. "Hey, there's somebody in here. Help. I need help!!!" Bang bang. "Help, I need helbgrgglgll."  
  
The force of her blows kept driving her back under water. She spat out a mouthful, coughing. Her fists were bruised and sore from banging on the bulkhead. She could no longer stand on top of the small table or cot and keep her head above water. 'How much longer can I keep this up. I'm tired. I'm beginning to feel sleepy. The air vents are all under water. Am I running out of oxygen?'  
  
"Damn it Sousuke! I told you not to go. If I die I'm going to grglglllgr. If I die I'm going to kill you. If I live, I'm going to do something WORSE!" She was certain. Had Sousuke been here, he would have found some way to rescue her. But now, he was in harm's way, somewhere else. If she were to die, it would all prove unnecessary.  
  
Bang bang bang.  
  
Bang bang bang.  
  
She would keep on fighting. She was not a quitter. Sousuke's quiet words gave her the inspiration to continue:  
  
'Kaname, I want you go go with me to the TDD-3. You'll be safe there'  
  
"Safe? SAFE? SOUgrgllgrglllgl. SOUSUKE!!!"  
  
Bang bang bang.  
  
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Cmdr. Horowitz had pulled himself back up into his chair. For a moment, he sat quietly, listening to the various reports coming in. The onboard rescue personnel were busy. Divers had been required. Individuals were trapped in their cabins, some of which were under the waterline.  
  
They had all been fortunate. 'They may not think so now, but they will realize just how close we came to joining those bastards at the bottom of the sea.' the damage had been severe. But, had the remaining fuel reserves caught fire, the resultant explosion would have gutted the TDD-3 and sent her down.  
  
The runways on the island would be busy soon. They had not been targeted by the cruise missiles, no doubt being preserved for the Amalgam aircraft after the certain victory. The hospital was also undamaged. The staff there would be getting little sleep. Medical personnel had been requested from other facilities as well.  
  
"Commander Horowitz, we have word from the TDD-1. Their Search & Rescue aircraft are in our vicinity. They're coordinating operations with the TDD- 2."  
  
"Thank you, Ensign. Send our regards. Let them know we're watertight where it counts and in no damage of capsizing. Tell them that I intend on bringing the boat in. Call the harbormaster and request all available tugs."  
  
"Aye, Sir!"  
  
The helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft would fish any surviving seamen and aviators out of the sea. A fair number of the missing men and women had called in, requesting assistance. There were a lot of injuries, but with the exception of the hangar area, the fatalities were less than would have been expected.  
  
The TDD-1 and TDD-2 were uninjured.  
  
The air battle was nearly over, with the Mithril forces having their way. The Amalgam pilots were courageous and remarkably skilled, but no more so than the men and women they fought against. The aircraft were roughly equal in performance, as well. There had been no way for the enemy to overcome the imbalance in numbers, especially since they had come in with an expectation of surprise, but were themselves caught off guard. The survivors were allowed to escape, but not out of charity or any sense of honor. They would be followed. It was unlikely that they would head for any secret base or facility, but there was little to lose from the gamble.  
  
"Commander, Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Eleiden is on line 2. He wishes to speak with you."  
  
The news was good. Reports from the ground forces were highly favorable. The enemy 'Banshee' Arm Slaves---the latest descendants of the 'Shadow' class of mecha, but possessing Lambda Driver technology---were put to route with a relatively small number of friendly casualties. A large number of enemy ground troops were dead, captured, or taking their chances with the sea.  
  
'All in all, things could have been much worse.' Cmdr. Horowitz frowned, thinking of what would have happened if he had not taken part in Lt. Sagara's plans. They had scored a significant victory, destroying a significant amount of Amalgam hardware and taking the lives of a large number of dangerous men. The adversary had risked much, and had paid a heavy cost. Had they succeeded, without opposition, the outcome would likely have been far different, no matter what retaliatory actions were taken.  
  
"We have met the enemy and they are ours." The words of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry seemed more than appropriate then.  
  
The battle was essentially over. But, the battle was not what had brought them here in the first place. 'What did Lt. Sagara accomplish before all Hell broke loose?'  
  
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'The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft a-gley.'  
  
Suffice it to say, Robert Burns was not Liang Yong's favorite poet. Nonetheless, the words from 'To A Mouse' held all the wisdom he would ever require from that moment forth. 'A-gley.' Awry. Amiss.  
  
'An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd joy.'  
  
He had run ahead of his bodyguards, forcing them to sprint to catch up. Catching sight of Pavel Totahounov's collapsed form, the blood pooling steadily around him, the Deputy Minister slid to an abrupt halt, causing one of his followers to knock him to the ground accidentally. 'What the Hell happened here.'  
  
A gunshot broke his reverie. Before he fully felt the pain, he noticed a red streak appear across his impeccably pressed white slacks. He had been grazed by a bullet. Were it not for the presence of mind of his nearest bodyguard, he would have died a moment later. Two more shots passed through the space he had been occupying, as his body was pulled back by a strong arm.  
  
"I guess that's why some have nicknamed you 'Lucky Liang.' It didn't go as you expected, Yong. It would be a good time to start running. I must say, I would clearly enjoy a hunt. Lt. Sagara, I believe you have a score to settle with the Deputy as well. Let's say, the one who enjoys the privilege of the kill will compensate by buying the other a fine meal?" Borodenko. There was a hint of pain in his voice, but he was laughing. He meant every word that he said.  
  
Liang Yong did not wait so see what Sousuke's response was, or to see if he ever replied at all. "Come on you fools! Do you want to die here? Or would you rather make a stand at a place of your choosing?" Running as fast as he could, he headed towards the other end of the building. All he needed to do was buy some time. His friends should be arriving soon, after they finished mopping up the pitiful force guarding the island.  
  
'Still thou are blest, compared wi' me The present only touchest thee; But, Och! I backward cast my e'e On prospects dear! An' forward, tho' I canna see, I guess an' fear!'  
  
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Kaname felt her last remaining strength ebb from her body. Curiously, she watched the sights around her waver in and out of focus as she sank towards the depths of her watery room.  
  
'Sousuke. Sousuke, I don't want to leave you.'  
  
There was so much she wanted to do. So many things she wanted to share. But, at last she had found him again, if only for a little while. They had shared an intimacy that made her life meaningful once more.  
  
'A light. I see an orange light. Is this what they talk about. Am I....'  
  
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Cautiously, both Sousuke and Borodenko made their way out into the hallway, each squinting as their eyes grew used to the light. The elder man knelt by the body of his fallen guard. Bowing his head, he said a quick prayer. "Liang Yong did this. Ultimately, it was he who pulled the trigger." The man's anger was a tangible thing.  
  
Their wounds were painful, but superficial. Each had lost a significant amount of blood, but not enough to weaken their resolve.  
  
"You never answered me. Lieutenant. I kill Liang Yong, and I will buy you the best meal a man ever had. I'll even serve it to you myself, in my French manor house. If you get the slimy son of a whore, will you extend me the same courtesy?" Borodenko's look was feral in the extreme.  
  
"No."  
  
"What? You will not extend me the same courtesy, or you will not try to kill him?" The Finance Minister's face took on a look of disbelief.  
  
"I would gladly buy you a meal that cost a full year's salary. I would act as your servant, until you had eaten your fill. But, I will not kill an unarmed man." Sousuke's voice was firm, final. He noticed the anger in his companion's face but did not back down. He set his jaw and held his head high.  
  
Barely able to contain his disappointment and disbelief, Borodenko spat. "It's not a problem, then. Liang Yong is the furthest thing from a man. He's a snake. A pitiful toad. If you grind his skinny neck into the ground, you'd be doing a service to mankind."  
  
"I do not disagree with you. But, I will not commit murder." Sousuke clenched his teeth. One eye twitched. Old memories flooded him, uninvited and unwelcome. Reginald Smithers. He had been given a gun. But, he might as well have been unarmed. It wasn't murder by definition. But, that judgment felt like a technicality. 'I will NOT go through that again.'  
  
Borodenko surprised Sousuke. He stopped walking and threw his head back. The bellows of laughter brought tears to the older man's eyes. He couldn't stop until he was short of breath. "You have killed more men than most armies, Lieutenant. You have turned more enemy weapons into junk than any third world army could ever hope too. You have destroyed entire facilities in your search for justice. You have removed countless gangsters, drug manufacturers, and terrorists from the ranks of the living. And you will not give such a terrible man the death he so richly deserves?"  
  
Sousuke kept walking. He intended to gather up his belongings. It would be good to have familiar weapons in his hands again. Not looking back, he answered. "No. I will not."  
  
"You are incredible. Simply unbelievable. Does your kindness extend to the bodyguards as well?" Borodenko grimaced in pain, but moved to catch up.  
  
"Yes, if they are weaponless. If not, they will wish they had been."  
  
The Finance Minister nodded his head. "Of course. If Mr. Yong were to be holding a gun, would you kill him then?"  
  
"Naturally." Sousuke almost sounded as if he were explaining something obvious to a young child.  
  
Borodenko laughed again. You are priceless, do you know that? You have a rather twisted sense of morality!" His look became very serious. "But, against my better judgment, I find myself respecting you. I can only wonder how my life would have turned out if I was more like you." His face brightened when he suddenly smiled. "I wonder how many men you could have killed if you were more like me."  
  
Sousuke put his Glock in place. Slamming a fresh clip into his F2000, he shouldered it. He dropped a number of grenades into his pockets. Each of his favored knives found its home. "Shall we go, sir? Stay behind me. I will deal with the guards." He threw the other man a TMP.  
  
Shaking his head, Borodenko followed Sousuke. He had been taken aback for a moment, seeing the brief look in the younger man's eyes: guns in hand--- prepared for battle---he might as well have been an avatar for the gods of War and Death.  
  
People were milling around the secretarial pool. They looked on aghast when Sousuke walked by, armed. Their countenances softened when they saw the Finance Minister.  
  
"Has any one seen Liang Yong? Be quick about it!" Borodenko's voice carried with it the sound of impending disaster. He swung his submachine gun around. He would take no chance with misplaced loyalties here. The frightened men and women were startled as much by the tone as they were by the weapon. One spoke up quickly, stammering.  
  
"H-He went that way. T-There were guards with him." The woman pointed. She sat down hard when the two armed men left.  
  
Borodenko walked next to Sousuke, matching him stride for stride. "I have considered your plight, Lieutenant. I have graciously decided to help you. For his transgressions against you and Miss Chidori, I will chastise Liang Yong most severely!" He stroked his borrowed gun, an evil grin on his face.  
  
Sousuke kept an answering grin of his face, but could not disguise the look in his eyes. "Your wisdom is even greater that I could ever have expected. I am in your debt."  
  
"Damn. Lieutenant. If I'm not careful, I might find myself liking you. Although, I cannot say if that would be a good thing for you! Wait a moment, young man. My wisdom? Are you saying you had a low opinion of me." This time it was the Minister's eyes that gave him away, despite a perfectly outraged roar.  
  
"I fear I must refuse to answer that, Sir. It would be against my best interests."  
  
"Ah! Such a breath of fresh air. Have you ever considered working in Finance, young man?"  
  
"As penance, Sir?" Sousuke's voice was deadpan.  
  
Borodenko's laughter filled the hallway again, causing a number of financial assistants to duck out of sight. His merriment stopped abruptly when Sousuke raised his hand.  
  
"Remain here. That area ahead is ideal for an ambush." He moved with a suddeness that caught the ex-mafia member by surprise.  
  
There were gunshots, coming from doors on both sides of the hallway.  
  
Sousuke rolled out of the way, just as bullets marred the floor where he had been running. Standing around a corner, he pulled the pins on two fragmentation grenades. 'These are not on the list of equipment approved for use in the Finance Division, I would guess. It is good to have the head honcho on my side. I'd better NOT get a bill for this.' He dashed into the middle of the hallway, tossed two grenades, one to either side, then rolled again.  
  
Two explosions threw debris out into the hallway. Sprinting, Sousuke made it to the first door unchallenged. Swinging his assault rifle around, he fired at the one guard left alive in that room. The man collapsed in a spray of blood. The second guard---or what was left of him---offered no resistance.  
  
"I've got the other one." Borodenko ran to the opposite door before Sousuke could yell for him to halt. There was an exchange of gunfire.  
  
The Finance Minister backed off and waved Sousuke in his direction. "The man was very insistant. He wants to play with you, Lieutenant." 'Whew! I'm getting too old for this....'  
  
"I thought he might, sir. Best not to disappoint him." Sousuke raised an eyebrow and one corner of his mouth. "I presume he is still armed?" The older man shook his fist at Sousuke, smiling at the subtle humor.  
  
"Do you want the bill for this damage fest, young man?"  
  
Sousuke feigned shock, put in a fresh clip, then tossed a flash grenade into the room. After the detonation, he slid across the floor, firing. His foe had been crouching behind a large desk. The shots took him to the ground, pulping his ankles. The next shots passed through the desk, his chest, and his abdomen.  
  
Walking back into the hallway a minute or so later, Sousuke carried a piece of paper he had written on. He handed it to Borodenko. "You can send the bill to this address."  
  
Captain Teletha Testarossa. Commanding Officer. TDD-1.  
  
The two men conducted a room to room search. They found Liang Yong in his own office, pistol in hand. When Sousuke peered in the room, the man fired, widely missing the mark. Sousuke fired back, purposefully missing. Borodenko gave him a look of disbelief.  
  
"He is armed, sir."  
  
"That's not what surprises me, Lieutenant. He's still shrieking in there." 'In other words, he's still alive. I think you know exactly what I mean.'  
  
It was true. Liang Yong was frightened more than he had even been before. And, his carefully planned scheme was crumbling around him. "Laugh while you can, you fools. My friends will soon be here. They will. Then you'll see. Then it will be my turn to take control. This is long overdue."  
  
Sousuke peered in the room again, attempting to draw the babbling man's fire. He did. The shots came uncomfortably closer this time.  
  
"Borodenko, you will be dead soon enough. You can't imagine how happy I'll be. It has been a disgrace serving under a peasant like you for all these years." The laughter that followed was further indication that Liang Yong had slipped a few cogs. "Sagara. You meddling dog. This time I will kill everyone who means anything to you." Seeing Sousuke's head again, he fired. He kept squeezing at the trigger, even after the clip had emptied.  
  
Borodenko handed Sousuke his gun. "Do you have a knife I can borrow? The duller, the better." Receiving one, he walked slowly into Liang Yong's office.  
  
"What are you doing. No! Someone like you cannot do that to me! No. Peasant. I will not urrrhhhlllggghh, ahhh, ohhh, AAAAH-h-h-h-h-h."  
  
When Borodenko exited the room, both hands dripping with blood, he winked at Sousuke. "May I keep this knife? I have grown rather fond of it. I was hoping to hang it on my office wall...." He wiped his hands on the immaculate white wall.  
  
"Certainly, sir." Sousuke nodded his head, suddenly feeling a terrible weight lift from his shoulders. "Mr. Borodenko, while I am quite accustomed to Japanese cuisine, I also enjoy Indian, Thai, Spanish, and Cajun."  
  
Borodenko stood, his mouth agape. Then he smiled, and the smile grew. He guffawed. "Young man, do you remember that I told you it might not be in your best interest if I come to like you?" He walked over to Sousuke, his face growing serious. He held out his hand. "Seriously, if you ever find yourself in need of a favor, do not hesitate to ask. I may have solved your problem for you, but I still consider myself in your debt."  
  
"Sir. I am honored."  
  
"Good. You should be. Now, are you hungry? There is still plenty of food back in my office." Borodenko patted his ample stomach. He had built up quite an appetite.  
  
"Uh."  
  
"Still not hungry?" The Finanace Minister's eyes showed his good humor.  
  
"I should probably see what is happening outside." Sousuke's fingers twitched on his gun hand.  
  
"I see. Kids these days. So much into violence." Both men smiled.  
  
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The fighting outside had died down by the time Souske had made his way out of the Finance Divisions compound. That did not mean that the danger was over. Not by a long shot. Not for Sousuke.  
  
After getting a complete lowdown from Melissa, Sousuke literally ran all the way to the base hospital. As he ran, he could see helicopters coming in for a landing. Orderlies and physicians were waiting. A large triage tent was set up outside. Strong men grunted under the weight of huge coolers holding blood products. Stretchers with IV polls were scattered about.  
  
Kaname  
  
Melissa had received word that Kaname was on the way in. She didn't have the full details. The uncertainty was far more painful than his own wounds.  
  
Kaname. The danger is over now. You HAVE to be OK!  
  
"Hold on there soldier, I can't let you over there armed." A large nurse blocked Sousuke's path. "Besides, it looks like you could use some medical attention yourself."  
  
Sosuke dropped all of his weapons without even as much as an evil look. "I will be able to wait for treatment. Have you seen a young woman. A young woman with blue hair?"  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm not working triage. No one fitting that description has been sent to the OR, treatment rooms, or temporary morgue staging area." The woman regretted the last words the moment they left her mouth. She saw the look of fear in the young wounded man's eyes.  
  
A stretcher rolled by. The noise Sousuke heard made him lose his balance momentarily. His knees felt weak. It was a familiar voice. A very weak and familiar voice. "S-S-Sousuke?" It was Kaname. She was alive! "Soouussuukkee."  
  
Sousuke grabbed the rail of the wheeled stretcher. "Kaname!"  
  
"Soldier, we need to get her inside, stat. The Doc says she came close to drowning. She's cold and needs a warming blanket and a warm IV." Sousuke let go of the railing.  
  
He started to follow, when the nurse's hand grasped him firmly by the arm. "You won't be doing her any favors by getting in the way, son. "She let go. "I understand how you feel. But, it won't be much good if you keel over, will it? Go over there and have those injuries tended to. I bet that young lady will want to see you when she's stable."  
  
Sousuke complied. It was one of the hardest things he had ever been forced to do. His heart jumped into his throat when he heard Kaname's voice getting fainter as she was rolled away. "Sooouuusssuuukkkeee...."  
  
After waiting while the more severely injured combatant's were treated, Sousuke had his time with the emergency physicians. His wounds cleaned, sutured, and bandaged, he made his way into the hospital, waiting for a chance to see Kaname. While impatiently passing the time, he was patched through to the TDD-3 and gave his report to Lt. Cmdr. Ben-Eleiden. In turn, his commanding officer filled him in on the day's events. The submarine was limping home, but should be there before nightfall. As it turned out, Cmdr. Horowitz had been evacuated to the hospital. Sousuke agreed to pass along his report in person, as soon as the Commander was medically ready.  
  
Minutes seemed like hours. Hours masqueraded as days. Finally, late in the evening, Kaname was cleared to have visitors.  
  
Sousuke approached her bed slowly, his eyes glued to her. Her eyes were closed. Her chest raised and fell with comforting regularity. The cardiac monitor showed a normal sinus rhythm. One of her hands, covered by a hospital blanket, twitched.  
  
"Kaname?" Sousuke spoke quietly. He didn't want to wake her if she were asleep.  
  
Kaname did not open her eyes. Her hand stopped twitching. Her heart rate went up, monitor leaving no room for doubt. "Sousuke?" The voice was weak. Sousuke had trouble hearing her. He moved closer.  
  
"Kaname? Are you going to be alright?" He carefully bent over her, not wanting to dislodge her IV line or the leads from the monitor.  
  
Her eyes opened. Her heart rate leapt upward. Her voice was a strong growl. Her hand raised, dislodging the blanket. Somebody had found her a halisen. "Alright? I'll show you 'alright'!!!"  
  
WHAMMM!!!  
  
"Owww. Kaname, that hurt. What was that for?"  
  
"For telling me I'd be safe aboard that submarine!"  
  
WHAMMM!!!  
  
"Ahhhh. Now what???"  
  
"That's for not kissing me the moment you walked in the room!"  
  
"But..."  
  
WHAMMM!!!  
  
"Hey. What? Why."  
  
"You still haven't kissed me!"  
  
Sousuke moved quickly to rectify the situation. He felt Kaname's arms go around his neck. In her embrace, he felt as if he were home. The kiss lingered. Kaname was smiling when she came up for air.  
  
He smiled in return.  
  
WHAMM...WHAMMM...WHAMMM...WHAMMM  
  
"Ouuwww. WHAT?!!"  
  
"I'll have to think about that later." She reeled him in for another kiss.  
  
When Kaname had finally settled down, Sousuke pulled up a chair and politely accepted a tray of food from an orderly. Between mouthfuls, Kaname told her tale. Sousuke reciprocated.  
  
"Well then, it looks like there is a wonderful future ahead...." Kaname ventured when Sousuke was finished.  
  
"For some people." It was Melissa's voice, soon followed by the owner of that voice. She was pushing a wheelchair. Kurz was in the chair, sitting on an air pillow, his head swathed in bandages.  
  
"Kurz! What happened to you?" Sousuke stood to go check on his friend.  
  
Melissa answered before Kurz could. "He was injured. But, it was only the first round."  
  
"First round?" Kaname asked, puzzled.  
  
"Yes. His ass hurt my foot." The look in Melissa's eyes was frightful.  
  
Kurz cringed.  
  
Sousuke and Kaname exchanged glances and smiled. Things were just where they should be again. 


End file.
